Evening star., 1949-11-10

PUBLIC PACKS HEARING RO(
the Nations worst airline diSa
Mr.. Tigner and it was made in
good visibility and was only a
simulated landing"
Whose responsibility was the
tower control of the B-25?" Mr..
Union was asked.
He replied that after the time
the B-25 cleared the runway was
marked down he placed the slip
of paper in front of Mr.. Tigner
He believed the P-38 was at least
5 miles away from the airport at
the time.
Then it was Mr.. Tigner's re-
sponsibility?"
yes" was the reply.
Heard Bolivian Request.
What happened next after you
gave Mr.. Tigner the slip showing
the BIS had left the field?"
An interval of time went by
Then heard the Bolivian request
ing landing instructions.
did you see any plane land dur
ing this interval?" The witness
said no.
Mr.. Union disagreed with Mr.
Tigner who held that the P-38
appeared to have approached the
runway at an unusually fast speed
and steep angle. He said he had
very little experience with fighters
of this type, but that the approach
was mot particularly steep" He
added. however, the P-38 ZAP
peared to be descending very
rapidly"
Gives Estimate on Collision.
MIR. Union said he estimated
the planes collided at about 500
feet altitude at about the time
the DC-4 had completed a grad
ual approach turn and lined up
with the runway for final ap-
proach.
He estimated that the DC-4
turned left only about five de-
grees in response to an emergency
order from the tower when the
impact occurred. Maj. German
Pol of the Bolivian Air Force, an
eye witness to the tragedy. pre-
viously had testified that the
airliner appeared to turn "di-
rectly into the path of the fighter
a few seconds before the impact" !"
Mr.. Union confirmed Mr.. Tig-
ner's statement that Capt. Rios,
neither replied to nor obeyed tow
er directions after asking for
landing instructions.
Mr.. Union was preceded on
the stand yesterday. the first day
of the hearing, by MIR. Tigner.
who s~in-communication with
both planes-the P-38~ for some
two minutes or more and the
DC-4 a few seconds before the
accident.
Mr.. Tigner said, he was busy
with other traffic in the interval
after the Bolivian had asked land
ing instructions and received
them and the time when it was
pointed. out to him by Mr.. Union
that the P-38 apparently had
started long, steep and. he said,
unusually fast approach to the
northeast runway.
He was asked if he could "haye
gotten mixed on his frequencies
and pressed the wrong button
during this interval" with the
result the Bolivian could not hear
the final instructions.
Certain it Didn't Happen.
The operator replied he was
quite certain this did not happen,
although it was possible in
theory"
Were there any indications in
the final seconds you were talk
ing on the right wave length to
the P-38?"
mo, there was no reply or res
ponse after he entered the final
approach"
Mr.. Tigner said ne noticed
the B-25 at an outer marker" but
was confident the bomber had
cleared the area we'll prior to
the P-38's final approach. He said
he could remember no other traf-
fic in the area in the critical
period, and was certain he would
have recalled anything unusual" 3"
He testified that, at some time
prior to the final approach, Mr..