Page:CAB Accident Report, American Airlines Flight 9.pdf/19

 " ... I found that I was over a portion which looked to me to be that portion of the airport which I had heard of and had read about as being the 'fill' portion of the airport ... and naturally I had to use power ... to drag [i.e., fly] across this fill portion of the airport. However, at that time, I had made up my mind that if I was not on the ground by the time I crossed this north runway No. 6 and No. 3, I would go around ... we crossed this fill portion and the motors were snapped back immediately and the ship was allowed to rest on the ground. I noticed I hadn't crossed this runway so I let the ship rest on the ground and continued to roll. We crossed this runway and about somewhere in this vicinity I started to apply the brakes ... It came as rather a surprise to me that I was getting very little results from my brakes ... After I felt that at this point where I wasn't getting the proper braking that there was a possibility that I might have to ground [loop] the ship, so I immediately released the [tail] wheel and by that time I attempted to ground loop. This attempt to ground loop was made by using the right rudder and the right brake. My speed at the time was not sufficient to have enough force on my rudder to turn the ship or the brake I was using—right brake—did not answer my call; later finding out skidding. After trying this ground loop there was only one question, to go straight ahead, or attempt to take off again, which was out of the question because of the obstructions shortly ahead of me. Crossing the boundary of the field seeing ... this ditch [Cold Water