Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-11-16
Threat Of Birds
Discussed al
Electra Probe
BY CHARLES YARBROUGH
star stan Writer

ny OnAhLES xAN01SOO0n
star Stan Writer
The growing threat Of birds
and planes fighting for their
own element was aired today
before q congressional COM
mittee.
1t has reached the point
where a committee Of the Ma
tional Aeronautics and Space
Administration has the subject
high on its agenda for q meet
ing two weeks hence. i
William Littlewood, vice presi-
dent Of Equipment Research for
American Airlines told House |
Aviation subcommittee of cur
rent efforts to avoid aircraft
accidents such as that in Bos-
ton October 4 when a Lockheed
Electra crashed and killed 50
persons. Ingestion of birds by
one or more Of the airplane's
four engines has been listed as
possible cause of the Boston
crash.
Today's hearing before Chair
man Williams, Democrat Of
Mississippi. heard the Electra
described as an outstanding
aircraft" by a pilot who flies
them. an engineer who helped
design them, and the leading
spokesman for the airline in
dustry. It also heard strong
denials Of testimony yesterday
in which the flight engineers
protested Electra cockpit proce-
dureS.
Calls Electras Safe
C. I. Smith, a spokesman for
the Flight Engineers Inter-
national Association agreed
that the Electra, under present
restrictions. is a. safe airplane.
but that operational procedures
should be improved. He also
criticized cockpit design.
Today, Capt. John H. Halli-
burton. vice president Of East
ern Airlines. told the Williams
committee I'VE are shocked
that an airline union would
deliberately attempt to dis
credit an aircraft. an airline. a
manufacturer and the Federal
Regulatory agencies. all in an
apparent effort to achieve
some slight leverage in a juris-
dictional dispute with another
union"
Mr.. Halliburton apparently
was referring to the long con-
troversy between the fight
engineers and the Air Line
Pilots Association.
At one point, members of the
subcommittee said they did not
want to get into a jurisdictional
dispute.
During the two-day hearing
there has been no witness
critical Of the Electra. In serv-
ice since early 1859, the plane
has figured in five accidents,
two. of which were believed to
have been caused by structural
failures. Since the second crash
the 140 Electras now flying for
six major airlines have been
operating under speed restric-
tons.
Plane Praised by Pilot
Stuart G. Upton, president
of the Air Transport Associa-
ton. told the committee. "if
the airlines had the slightest
doubt about the airworthiness
of the Electra, they would
ground it, and they would do
this before they were told to by
a regulatory agency"
Braniff Always Capt. T. A.
Shaw, who has flown the
Electra more than 1000 hours,
testified, lit is the safest and
most reliable airplane it has
been my privilege to fly"
Mr.. Littlewood, who has been
associated with the develop
ment Of transport aircraft from
the Electra and the Boeing TOT
back to the DC-3 and beyond,
told Of the expensive testing
the Electra has gone through
and said, There is complete
unanimity on this one point:
The Electra is a topnotch air.
plane. 1t is reliable, it is safe.
The airlines feel that the Elec-
ira is one of the best designed,
most thoroughly researched and
tested aircraft ever introduced