Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-31

After months of detective
work, Government experts have
determined it may have taken
only is birds to cause the
crash of an airliner that took
50 lives.
1t was no surprise that birds
-Starlings-caused the crash
Of the Eastern Air Lines prop
Jet Electra that plunged into
Boston Harbor on October 4,
1860. Officials had said as
much months earlier.
But there had been no hint
in advance Of today's Civil
Aeronautics Board report that
hardly more than a dozen Of
the starlings may have been
sucked into the Jet engines
with such terrifying results.
The freak crash occurred as
the plane was taking off from
Logan international Airport, at
the harbor's edge, on, q flight
to Atlanta via Philadelphia,
Charlotte, N. c., and Green
Vile, s. c. Aboard were 81
passengers and a crew Of five
Eight passengers and two crew
members survived.
Frightened Into Air
AS the Electra TAXED to be-
gin its takeoff, its high-pitchec
engines frightened a flock Of
starlings basking in the twilight
beside the runway. The birds
took to the air directly in front
Of the plane. A few were pulled
into three of the planes four
engines. Others presumably
crashed into cockpit wind
shields.
Summarizing the events Of
the next few seconds, the CAE
report said:
1.-THE probable cause Of thil
accident was the unique anC
critical sequence Of the loss anC
recovery of engine power fol
lowing bird ingestion, resulting
in loss of airspeed and contro
during takeoff."
According to the CAB find
ings, the two engines of tn
left side Of the plane los
power completely. One resume,
operating after Q few second
but at reduced power-an'
the other was shut off by tn
crew In an emergency move
The engine closest to the til
of the right wing also suffered
momentary power failure.
Forward Thrust Unbalanced
Although two engines re.
turned to something approach
ing full power in q matter Of
seconds, and a third was nevel
affected, the forward thrust o.
the plane was thrown off bal
ance. The airliner veered II
the left and the simultaneous
loss of power cut airspeed tt
the stalling point. The Graf
banked steeply to the left ant
plunged nose-first into tn
water about 1000 feet from
the point of takeoff.
In the investigation, al
earthb@und Electra traine
was used to duplicate the con
ditions after the plane struc,
the flight of birds. The CA
said the results demonstrate
that control Of the. aircra1
under such conditions coul
have been an insurmountabl
task"
An accurate record of til
flight was reconstructed frol
the accounts of eyewitnesses @
the ground, from interview
with survivors, from tn
wreckage and from photos.
Some Unusual Sleuthing
These techniques, common
almost all accident investig,
tons, were supplemented
sleuthing of a more unusu
sort.
For one thing, autopsi
were conducted on the remain
of about rs starlings RECEIVERS
from the runway.
The planes four engin
were dismantled and all TO
eign matter was removed. tt
effort netted q small amou
of bird feathers and tissue fro
three engines-none from t
fourth.
Determination of Number
To determine how ma
birds must have been suck
into the engines to produce t
crash, studies were made by
Federal Aviation Agency a
the Allison Division of Gene
Motors, builder of the engin
Starlings were fatally gaSs