Page:CAB Accident Report, 1963 Purdue Aeronautics Corporation crash.pdf/2

 and approved by the captain on the morning of the flight. Both pilots checked the weather reports and forecasts, and the captain received a comprehensive briefing from the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) personnel assigned to the Lafayette Flight Service Station.

The flight was a ferry mission to Morgantown, West Virginia, where the aircraft was scheduled to enplane passengers for a charter flight. The weight and balance as well as the center of gravity (c.g.) were within the prescribed limits, and there were no passengers or cargo aboard the aircraft.

The aircraft departed Purdue University Airport, Lafayette, Indiana, at 0836 on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan to Morgantown via direct Dayton, Ohio, Victor 12 (Airway) to Appleton, Victor 144 to Morgantown with Canton and Youngstown, Ohio, as alternates, to cruise at 5,000 feet. The crew later requested and received a clearance to operate at 7,000 feet.

The aircraft operated on top of clouds until after passing Zanesville, Ohio, where the crew went on instruments in light rain which continued until the end of the flight. Twenty-five degrees of carburetor heat was applied when the rain was encountered En route the captain detected a difference between the magnetic compass and the remote indicating compass of approximately 15 degrees. He stated that he was never able to determine which of the compasses was more nearly correct.

The captain reviewed the instrument approach plates for the Morgantown airport and selected the "VOR/DME" approach to use for his approach. He stated that he made this selection because he wanted to make a VOR approach so he could "the down the radial" and that "with a difference of 15° between the two compasses (Magnetic) we could not be positive of our track making an ADF approach under these condition. He further stated that he thought of "the VOR/DME plate as two approaches on one plate, similar to an ILS/ADF plate." Because the VOR/DME plate had a later date than the VOR plate he said he thought the VOR plate was obsolete. The captain alse testified that he did not see the note indicating "if aircraft not equipped with operational VOR and DME equipment, procedure not authorized," which was printed on the chart.

He noted a position called "DECK or 3.5 miles" on the depiction of the final approach course from the VOR station to the airfield. Because he felt it was important to determine this point, he took a cross bearing on this point from the Grantsville VCR and selected the 273° radial of this station to give him an indication of passing "Deck."

The captain testified that he had never had any formal training in the use of the type of approach plates he was using on this flight. He had used them,