Page:CAB Accident Report, Eastern Air Lines Flight 45 - Revised.pdf/1

 Docket No. SA-104

Adopted: June 12, 1946

An air collision between Eastern Air Lines' Flight 45 en route from Boston, Mass. to Miami, Florida, and a USAAF A-26 engaged in a local practice flight at 1435 EWT, July 12, 1945, resulted in fatal injury to one occupant of the DC-3 and to two occupants of the Army aircraft. Three passengers and the four crew members of the airliner received injuries which were not critical. The DC-3 received major damage and the army aircraft was demolished.

Flight 45 of Eastern Air Lines departed Boston, Mass., at 0855, July 12, 1945, for Miami, Florida, with stops scheduled at New York, N. Y., Washington, D. C., Columbia, S. C., and Jacksonville, Fla. A complete crew change was made at New York and the subsequent flight to Washington was of a routine nature. The flight departed Washington at 1222 and proceeded uneventfully until reporting "over" Florence at 1431. However, prior to reporting over Florence the flight had left the airway (Amber 7) and five minutes after the 1431 position report was approximately eight miles to the west of the airway. While passing Florence it was letting down at approximately 200 feet per minute towards Columbia, S. C., its next scheduled stop about 62 miles away, and was at 3100 feet at the time of the accident.

At 1315, an Army A-26 left the base at Florence for a two hour training mission and proceeded directly to an area 40 miles northwest of Florence