Page:CAB Accident Report, General Airways DC-3 crash on 1 February 1959.pdf/7

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stalling. At 2317, N 1731L requested and received a repeat of the Kerrville instrument approach procedure, relayed through AIREV 5h759.

Previously, at 2311, persons in the vicinity of the Kerrville Airport heard an aircraft overhead. At 2319 lights of an aircraft were seen south- southeast of the airport and then seen to pass over the airport on a northwest heading. At 2325, AIREV 54759 reported that N 17314 had missed the first approach to Kerrville and would make a second attempt. Three minutes later lights of an aircraft were again seen south—southeast of the airport. AIREV 54759 at 2331 reported that N 1731A was on a second approach to Kerrville and then relayed the Kerrville 22h5 weather observation to N 1731A. At 2339, AIREV 5A759 reported being unable to maintain radio contact With N 17314.

At 23A7, a person living near the Kerrville Airport called the San Antonio Air Traffic Control Tower and reported that at approximately 2337 an aircraft passed over his house and that he then heard an explosion. He gave his location. This information was relayed to Kerrville Airport. Ambulances and fire equipment proceeded to the accident scene, extinguished the fire and took survivors to hospitals in the Kerrville area.

The crash site is at an elevation of 1,535 feet m. s. 1. in moderately hilly, wooded terrain 6.8 statute miles bearing 123 degrees T. from the Kerr- ville Airport, and h.4 statute miles bearing 118 degrees T. from the Kerrville radio beacon. It is in the approximate area where a procedure turn from an outbound heading to an inbound heading would normally be made for a prescribed DF approach to Kerrville Airport.

At impact the cockpit was demolished by contact with trees. Captain Epps, Reserve Captain Hitt, and one passenger received multiple severe injuries, which in all probability were instantly fatal. The third pilot, W} H. Wittliff, in the cabin, was seriously injured and momentarily pinned in the wreckage until extricated by one of the passengers. The twenty-four surviving passengers were injured in varying degrees. They and the third pilot, Wittliff, with ass1stance, quickly got out and clear of the aircraft as fire broke out.

Copilot Wittliff was not on pilot duty during the PuebloTKerrville flight. Shortly after takeoff he went to sleep in the cabin. He was the only pilot to sur— vive and as none of the passengers were pilots, and as there were no ground wit— nesses, his testimony is most enlightening. Portions of it are here quoted:

"I did not awaken until I heard the sound of the engines revving which was approximately forty-five minutes before the accident. This Was my first indication that we had any unusual problems. The Captain explained that we had been picking up ice for about an hour previous to that. The revving of the engines at this time was for the purpose of flicking ice off the propellers. When we first went forward we were holding an approximate air speed of 120 knots with cruise power 29 inches and 2050 r. p. m.

"In a few short minutes the air speed slipped from 120 knots to 115, to 110 and finally 100 at which time as nearly as I can recall the pilot added power to 35 inches and 2250 r. p. m. which brought the air speed up to around 115 to 120 knots. The icer boots were engaged and ice on the leading edge of the wings came off which further increased the air speed. we were somewhere between Big Springs and Junction at this time.