Page:CAB Accident Report, Boeing Test Flight Crash on 19 October 1959.pdf/10



The Civil Aeronautics Board was notified of this accident at 1800, October 19, 1959. An investigation was immediately initiated in accordance with the provisions of Title VII of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. A public hearing was ordered by the Board and held at the Olympic Hotel, Seattle, Washington, on November l9, 1959.

Mr. Russel H. Baum, age 32, was employed by Boeing Airplane Company, June 7, 1957, as a Test Pilot "B." He was promoted May 2, 1958, to Experimental Test Pilot "B." He held an FAA airline transport pilot certificate with a rating in the B-707. His total flying time was 5,015 hours, of which 369 were in the 707. His latest FAA class I physical was taken June 2, l959. Mr. Baum had received a total of 86 hours of ground school instruction on the 707, plus a cockpit and systems familiarization class on the KC-135. According to testimony of a Boeing Airplane Company employee, Mr. Baum was fully qualified to act as instructor-pilot on the 707.

Captain John A. Berke, age 49, was employed by Braniff Airways April 15, 1936, was promoted to captain in April 1938, and to check pilot January 1, 1958. He had a valid FAA airline transport pilot certificate with ratings in the DC-3, DC-4, D-6, DC-7, and L-188 aircraft. Captain Berke had a total of 23,563 flying hours. His latest first-class physical examination was taken April 3, 1959. Captain Berke had completed the Boeing Airplane Company pilot training ground school course which consisted of 160 hours of instruction. This was his first training flight in preparation for checkout in the aircraft.

Captain M. Frank Staley, Jr., age 43, was employed by Braniff Airways August 18, 1939. He was promoted to captain November 1, 1942, and to check pilot August 28, 1959. He held a valid airline transport pilot certificate with ratings in the DC-3, DC-6, DC-7, and L-188. Captain Staley had accumulated 20,450 flying hours. His last first-class physical was taken June 23, 1959. Captain Staley had completed the Boeing Airplane Company pilot ground school training course of 160 hours of instruction. This was his first training flight in preparation for checkout in the Boeing 707.

Flight Engineer George C. Hagan, age 28, was employed by Boeing May 11, 1959, as a Flight Test Analyst "A." He held a valid FAA flight engineer certificate. His last second-class physical examination was taken May 27, 1959. He had accumulated a total of 1,260 flight hours, of which, as of August 29, 1959, about 90 had been in the Boeing 707. Mr. Hagan had completed a training course, consisting of 152 hours for flight crew ground instructors, June 12, 1959.

N 7071, a Boeing 707-227, serial number 17691, was manufactured June 11, 1959. It was owned and was being operated by the Boeing Airplane Company, Benton, Washington. The aircraft was a new model on which about 173 flying hours had been accumulated for the purpose of qualifying it for certification by the FAA. The airplane was equipped with four Pratt and Whitney turbojet, model JT4A-3 engines. - i -