Page:CAB Accident Report, National Airlines Flight 967.pdf/5

- 5 - the land areas and coastal waters from Mobile westward, skies were virtually clear and visibility excellent.

Low stratus and fog in the area from Mobile to New Orleans and at the New Orleans terminal would have caused the destination to be below limits at the estimated time of arrival. However, there was ample fuel to have proceeded to the flight's planned alternate or to Dallas, the next en route stop.

Water temperatures in the vicinity of the crash were 70 degrees or more. The sea was practically calm with waves about 1-1/2 feet high moving from a northerly direction with a period of about five seconds.

Investigation disproved the possibility of collision with another aircraft, either civil or military, and there were no missiles or rockets in flight at the time and place.

Maintenance and Crew Competence

Investigation failed to reveal any item of maintenance of either the aircraft or its powerplants which could be significantly related to the accident. Crew qualifications and experience were amply high in all respects and an investigation disclosed no irregularity in this connection.

No suggestion of unfamiliarity by National crews of Delta interchange aircraft was found during the investigation.

Subsequent Search

The Board obtained search assistance from the United States Navy. The Navy utilized several vessels equipped with advanced apparatus and manned with skilled specialists. Unfortunately, these searches were not successful.

The U.S.S. ASSURANCE sailed on November 19, 1959, for position 39°07'N - 88°33'W relieving the Coast Guard Cutter NIKE, which had been standing by. Searching continued through November 23. The U.S.S. PENGUIN assisted on November 24 and on the following day made sonar contact at position 29°16.4N, 88°36.7'W. This position was buoyed and two dives were made in depths of 210 feet. The search was resumed on November 26, 1959, to the south and west of the previous area based upon drift studies of recovered debris. A strong sharp contact, definitely bottom and metallic, was made at position 29°11.6'N, 88°38.2'W at a depth of 245 feet. Divers established that the contact was a sunken ship.

The United States Fish and Wild Life, M/V OREGON, searched for 24 hours on December 14 and 15, 1959, dragging a 35 foot wide net over the botton at a position centered around Lat. 29°10'N, and Long. 88°39'W. From January 9, 1960 to January 15, 1960, the U.S.S. VIGOR searched, using Navy sonar. About 72 square miles south of the area originally covered in November was swept and bottom contact approximately 110 feet long was made at Lat. 29°12.3'N, Long. 88°37.3'W. Grapples were used and a variety of objects were recovered but none could be related to the aircraft.

From January 27 through 30, 1960, and from February 2 through 5, 1960, the VIGOR and PENGUIN made four dives on the bottom sonar contact obtained by the VIGOR on January 10, 1960. During this period an underwater television camera was