Page:CAB Accident Report, Eastern Air Lines Flight 5.pdf/12

 those lights at the time of the accident.

From the condition of the tires, landing gear, right propeller blades and right wing tip of the airplane, it is apparent that the contact with the ground was severe. Moreover, the evidence indicates that the airplane was in a tail-high attitude turning to the right, and that the right wing was low at the time of first contact.

Captain Cann stated that just prior to contacting the ground he could see the runway and realized that he was landing on the southeast edge which would place him closer to the parked Army aircraft, and, in order to avoid them, was angling toward the center or opposite side of the runway when the aircraft made contact with the runway near its southeast edge. He stated that during the latter part of the approach, while he was keeping the runway lined up, looking at the air-speed indicator, and watching the smoke which covered the near end of the runway, he possibly "looked out" too long. He said he saw the ground coming up and pulled the control column back and applied a slight amount of power just prior to first contact.

The fact that Captain Cann landed on the southeast edge of the runway indicates clearly that he did not have sufficient visibility to line himself up properly with that runway. He had been told by Eastern's ground personnel that the Army airplanes were parked parallel to the southeast edge of the runway and it seems unlikely that he would have intentionally landed on the side of the runway nearest them. In addition, the fact that he was "angling to the right" just prior to landing indicates that he had not been properly aligned with that runway before that time. Furthermore, the action of Captain Cann in making his final approach for a landing, and then in actually attempting the landing, without the use of flaps, was an unusual procedure. It would indicate that he was not sure of being able to effect the landing, and wished to be able to pull out readily. Indeed, when he was asked why flaps were not used, Captain Cann gave the following answer "Well, in landing in a fog condition, the fact is I wasn't certain that I was going to land".

In view of these factors we consider that Captain Cann did not exercise sound judgment in continuing to a landing after being advised that visibility was worse than the minimum conditions of 1/2 mile, as previously reported.

Upon all of the evidence available to the Board at this time we find that the facts relating to the accident involving aircraft of United States registry NC 19970, which occurred at Savannah, Georgia, on October 10, 1941, are as follows

1The accident which occurred at approximately 2:10 a.m. (EST) on October 10, 1941, to Eastern Air Lines' Trip 5 of October 9 resulted in major damage to aircraft NC 19970 but in no injuries to any of the occupants.

2At the time of the accident Eastern Air Lines held a currently effective certificate of public convenience and necessity and an air carrier operating certificate authorizing 5—20464