Page:CAB Accident Report, Eastern Air Lines Flight 21.pdf/17

 vicinity and there was no evidence discovered which would indicate any malfunctioning of the range. Furthermore, two trips of Eastern had, during that period, effected successful landings at Candler Field under instrument conditions, Trip 19 at 11:36 p.m. and Trip 26 at 12:46 a.m., and did not report anything wrong with the range.

There is no evidence indicating any unusual facts affecting the operation of the flight from New York to Washington, D. C. From Washington south it appears that the flight proceeded in a normal manner at least until several minutes before the crash. Radio contacts with the flight indicated that operations were being conducted in strict accordance with the flight plan and all of the witnesses agree that the aircraft was operating in a normal manner during the period preceding the events directly leading up to the crash. Some of the passengers, including Captain E. V. Rickenbacker, stated that they felt a slight shock immediately preceding the final impact. After this shock, which was probably due to the aircraft brushing the tops of the trees located about 1500 feet from the point at which the plane came to rest, Captain Rickenbacker testified that he arose from his seat and started toward the rear of the plane. Almost simultaneously a violent maneuver of the aircraft threw him from his feet and while he was in a prone position the aircraft crashed in the pine grove.

According to Eastern's procedure, a normal let-down would have resulted in the aircraft being at an altitude of between 800 and 900 feet above the level of the airport at the place of the crash. In reality, the aircraft, when it contacted the trees, was at an altitude slightly