Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-02


National Airport there was no in
dication in the thronged lobby,
or on the loading and unloading
ramps outside. that anything un-
usual shad happened. From all
outward appearance. at any rate,
lit was only another fairly busy
Tuesday night.
Frantic efforts of traffic con-
trollers to avert the crash were
described to reporters by Stanley
Settler. chief airport traffic con-
troller. of Hyattsville, Md, and
his assistants.
The Bolivian pilot spoke excel
lent English. Mr.. Settler said, and
obeyed taxing and take-off in.
|structions with precision. He left
the field in a climbing turn and
proceeded toward Alexandria on
a test flight.
Shortly later the scheduled air
liner was reported in the regular
traffic pattern to the west of the
airport, Mr.. Settler said, making
a wide left turn to enter the final
approach to the northeast run
way.
P-38 Assigned Position.
The airliner was at about 1900
feet, it was said, when the P-38
was seen approaching the field
from an altitude of 5000 to 1000
feet. approximately mile south
OF Alexandria.
The P-38 asked landing instruc-
lions, it was said, and was in
formed he was in number two
position and should enter the
left" traffic pattern to circle the
field prior to landing.
This would have been the de-
sired flow Of traffic around the
airport" Mr.. Settler explained.
In other words. to circle the field
in a left turn
Mr.. Settler was understood to
say that the P-38 failed to &C
knowledge this instruction, al
though an assistant told reporters
he heard the response Of Roger"
1t was agreed, however, that no
further acknowledgment YVES re-
ceived from the P-38 as the two
aircraft approached-the airliner
turning at lower altitude and the
fighter coming straight in at. an
unusual speed and steep angle:"
..txe = Left Turn Ordered. aas
When the P-38 was seen to low
er wheels and flaps. Mr.. Settler
said, 1t apparently was on a long
final approach"
The tower ordered the P-38 to-
make a complete turn to the left.
At this point. the orders be-
came more imperative and fire.
quent. MIR. Settler said, although
the planes still were widely sep
arated. The tower kept saying:
Make immediate left turn! Make
immediate left turn!'
When it appeared the P-38
was not following instructions
and coming straight in for a
landing, the tower told the DC-4
pilot to turn left out of his ap-
proach. He also was told the rea-
son for making an immediate
turn"
The CAA controllers estimated
the altitude Of airliner at 600 to
300 feet at this time. The DC-4,
responding Immediately, pulled up
and started to turn more sharply
to the left.
Talked on Two Wave Lengths,
Mr.. Seltzer said the airliner ap-
parently was struck from behind
and above. about midway of. the
fuselage. Immediately behind the
wings.
He was asked if the usual re-
cordings kept of conversations
between tower and aircraft were
available, but replied he believed
they were not because the talk
was on two wave lengths.
Radio equipment In military
planes operates on a different
frequency from that in CONNER
cial ships.
The P-38. it was said, gives its
pilot little opportunity to see OBJ
jects In front and below him. It
seems probable that neither pilot
saw the other plane before the
crash.