Page:CAB Accident Report, AAXICO Logair Flight 1416B.pdf/2

- 2 - Hill AFB, Ogden, Utah, at 2155 on May 17, 1965. The flight was destined for Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska, with several scheduled stops at various Air Force bases en route. The flight arrived at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, at 0213 after a routine flight via Francis E. Warren AFB, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

At 0466, May 18, the flight departed Tinker AFB for Whiteman AFB, Knob Noster, Missouri, on an IFR flight plan. After the flight climbed on top of the overcast in the Tinker AFB area the captain canceled the IFR flight plan and continued to Whiteman AFB at 5,500 feet operating in accordance with Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

At 0552:01, N6579C contacted the Whiteman AFB control tower and gave the flight's position as 29 DME miles south of the field, "VFR." The tower control illisible acknowledged the transmission and gave the flight the following information"... Measured three thousand eight hundred (3,800) broken, high overcast, visibility one zero (10 miles), altimeter two niner niner zero (29,90 inches HG) wind two seven zero (270) degrees, variable three zero zero (300) degrees at one zero (10 knots) active runway one eight..." The flight asked for and received approval to make a straight-in approach to runway 36.

At 0553:01 the flight asked the tower controller, "Is it raining there?" The controller answered, "Negative precipitation at the present time."

At 0554:04 the flight repeated that they were VFR at twenty-five hundred feet and was informed by the controller "... at the present time it is raining at Whiteman."

At 0557:29 N6579C reported, "Ten out," and was cleared to land. At 0559:54 the flight requested, "Whiteman Tower what's your weather now?" The controller answered, "Weather measured one thousand seven hundred (1,700) overcast, visibility ten with light rain showers, altimeter two niner niner two." The flight acknowledged receiving this information at 0600:10. The next transmission to the flight, made by the controller at 0604:49, was not acknowledged nor were several other attempts to contact the flight after this time. At approximately 0605 the controller alerted the crash crew.

The flight crew testified that the captain was flying the aircraft with the first officer handling the radio transmissions. At six DME miles south of the base both intrument landing system (ILS) receivers were switched to frequency 110.3 mcs. Both altimeters were set at 29.92, according to the crew. The captain did not utilize an approach chart.

According to the crew's testimony, at the outer marker the landing gear was lowered, the flaps were extended to 30 degrees and the aircraft was slowed to between 125-130 knots which was maintained throughout the approach. The captain testified, "After passing the outer marker we encountered light rain which progressively became heavier. This prompted our call (0559:54) to the tower requesting further weather conditions at the field. These weather conditions were given to me I believe as 1,700 feet and three miles which led me to believe,"... (we)