Evening star., 1949-11-03
Crash
Continued From First Page.)

been lodged in the wreckage ane
slipped out as the heavy broker
section was lifted from the water
They were recovered by harbol
police and Navy personnel.
Navy divers today turned theil
attention also to the P-38, twin
engined fighter which crashed
into the Potomac after the COLI
sion about 100 yards from wher'
the forward section of the air.
liner struck the water.
The pilot of the fighter, ane
the sole survivor Of the crash
was reported in a fair condition
at Alexandria Hospital today, al.
though still unable to make 6
statement. He is Eric Rio.
Bridoux. director of aviation fol
Bolivia.
Capt. Rios has a broken back
deep scalp decorations and two
fractured ribs, doctors say.
Plans for Hearing Pushed.
The public hearing in Washing
ton. plans for which were develop.
ing rapidly today, will be con-
cerned primarily with the radio
conversation betwee n Nations,
Airport traffic controllers and the
two aircraft as they approached
on the collision course, both pre-.
pairing to land on the northeas
runway 80 II. - @
ALI other facts seem clearl,
established, investigators said. Tn,
DC-4 was on course, on time ant
following exact instructions, whil
the P-38. flying at a much highe
speed and descending at a steepe
angle. was repeatedly warned t,
pull out of the approach and tur,
away, CAA controllers say.
Whether Capt Rios failed t,
hear the instructions is a matte
to be cleared up after he recover
sufficiently.
CAB accident investigators hav,
talked to him in the presence O
the Bolivian Ambassador, but hi
replies were vague because he wa
still under opiates, it was said.
Members of Congress hav,
pressed demands for a thorough
investigation of the tragedy
Hundreds of prospective witnesse
already have been interviewed
and much evidence assembled b,
CAB investigators for the publ,
hearing.
Jones Heads Panel.
The CAB said a six-man pane
will hold the hearing under chair
manship of Harold Jones, mem
ber of the CAB and wartim,
combat pilot. Maj. German Pol
chief of operations of the Bolivia,
Air Force, has been named as a,
observer at the inquiry.
Earlier Maj. Pol told a reporte,
that Capt. Rios had ordered
new radio installed in the P-3,
over the weekend; after express
ing dissatisfaction. with the olt
one. The fighter was being pur
chased by the Bolivian govern
ment from a private firm which
had obtained it from war surplus
In his statement clearing East
ern Of blame, Mr.. Rented referred
to the fact that the only two fata
accidents on the airlines in tn,
last Is months do not reflect eli
any way upon the operations O
the airlines. their pilots or thei
:. aircraft"
Both accidents befell Eastern
airliners, and both occurred wher
they were struck by fighter planes
The other accident occurred las
July over Fort Dix. N. j., when {
fighter operated by a Navy Reserv.
pilot from the Washington ares
was alleged to have "buzzed" thu
airliner.
Entitled to Use Airport.
! Aviation attorneys say the P-3t
technically was a commercial air.
plane after the United State.
Government sold it, and therefore
was legally entitled to use Nationa
Airport facilities.
Capt. Rios was f1ight-checkins
the fighter preparatory to fiyint
1t to Bolivia. A point yet to bt
cleared up is the amount of pre-
vious experience Mr.. Rios has hat
in this type of high-speed aircraft
Meanwhile, Representative Lane
} Democrat. of Massachusetts,, who's,
Republican colleague, Representa-
|, tive George Bates, lost his life IL
the collision. declared the public
will not be satisfied with an.
routine exam" of the disaster.
:. He said in a telegram to Sec
tetary of Commerce Sawyer tina
. G,,a ;1s& a ~, ,,1orae ,>a,,et ~ tn~,.4.