Evening star., 1949-11-05

YiiusnsV LuIiuInyS
At National Airport
Boiling Air Force Base person.
mel were under explicit instruc-
tions today not to practice instru-
ment control landing at National
Airport-an upshot Of last Tues
days tragic air collision Of an
Eastern Air Lines DC-4 and a
P-38 which brought death to IS
persons.
Col. Sidney D. Grubbs, Boiling
commandant, reaffirmed an order
first issued June 8 after 1t was
learned that a BIS from Boiling
had made simulated landing at
National 10 or Is minutes before
the collision.
Commenting on one theory that
control tower instructions to the
BPS might have confused Capt.
Eric Rios Bridoux of Bolivia, pilot
Of the P-38. Col. Grubbs said:
"Of coure. it is possible, but I
seriously doubt 1t"
Hearings Open Wednesday.
.As Boiling spokesmen explained
how the B-25 had swooped over
the commercial airport, despite
orders to stop such practices, ar
rangements were completed by the
Civil Aeronautics Board to open
public hearings into the disaster
at $3.50 am. next Wednesday.
CAB officials would not COM
ment on the possibility that the
Bs25 figured at all in the crash,
bYt said it was being reviewed in
connection with all other evi-
dence being gathered.
Other flying authorities, noting
that the B-25 touched down at
Boiling Field at precisely the mo-
ment Of the collision, pointed out
there was little likelihood that it
was close enough to the crashing
plane to have confused Capt. Rios.
The pilot Of the BIS, 1t. Ray
II. Deem, jr.. 20, Of 16 Galveston
place S.W., told officials he saw
no other planes flying In the close
vicinity Of National Airport when
he dropped to about 200 feet over
runway 36 between 1880 and
1885 am.
Time of the crash was fixed by
the Civil Aeronautics Administra-
ton at 11:46 am.
Order Issued June 8.
lSignalled by the Boiling tower
to circle and follow the airliner
in for a landing on runway 3,
which is 30 degrees northeast of
runway 36, the P-38 instead came
In for a straight shot at the run
way and crashed into the airliner.
Meanwhile. the BIS after dip
ping over runway SO, had turned
le5t, circled around Mount Ver-
non several miles away, and re-
turned to Boiling.
Col. Grubbs revealed today he
issued a written directive June 8
forbidding Boiling planes to simu-
late landings at National Airport
"due to saturation Of air traffic"
there.
p Bennett Griffin, National Air
port manager. was informed Of
the action by Col. Grubbs, and
concurxed in its value. q Boiling
spokesman said. ~> ,asnr,
But on September Il Stanley
Seltzer, chief traffic controller q
National, wrote Boiling operations
requesting the practice landings
be resumed there 50 that trat3c
control trainees might get expert
ence in such things, it was said at
Boiling.
Violation Warning Made.
The letter never reached Col.
Grubbs, but was placed on the
fight training bulletin board, and
since then "six or more" practice
runs have been made at National.
Col. Grubbs said any further in
punishable by court-martial.
The CAB pointed out that mill
tAry aircraft are authorized to
practice instrument landings at
commercial airports. a training
method that Is carried on even
more extensively by commercial
sirline pilots.
Boiling airmen had been using
National runways for practicing
because the military field Is not
equipped with ground control ap-
proach or instrument landing sys-
TEN facilities.
The CAB announced that the
hearing will open at $3.50 am.
Wednesday in hearing room B,
Departmental Auditorium, on
Constitution avenue between
Twelfth and Fourteenth streets
NV.
Robert w. Crisp, chief of the
CAB hearing and reports division,
will preside. Others on the five
man board of inquiry will be
Harold A. Jones, CAB member;
William K. Andres. director Of the
CAB bureau Of safety and in
vestigations; Erwin N. Townsend,
chief OF the CAB accident investi-
CATION division, and Joseph o.
Fluet, chief of CAB region and
senior investigator at the scene
Of the accident.
The condition Of Capt. Rios,
sole survivor of the Nations worst
air disaster, continued to improve
at Alexandra Hospital. His ply
sician said the nature Of the pi-
lots injuries, including a broken
back, would make recovery slow,
but that there was no paralysis
and that recovery eventually
should be complete.
Heroism Recalled.
In hope of boosting the airman's
morale, friend will present him
with a recording Of an American
Broadcasting Co. account Of Capt.
Rios heroic rescue Of 1877 children
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