Page:CAB Accident Report, Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 19.pdf/33

 and not by instrument navigation. He stated that he encountered an overcast condition with about 1500-foot ceiling in the vicinity of Lovettsville, Virginia, and could see a well-defined front of a thunderstorm in the mountains to the west. He was unable to see the northern limits of the thunderstorm area but he estimated that it extended about 50 miles to the south of him. He attempted to skirt the storm area by going north but finally was forced to land near Middletown, Maryland, at about 12:54 p.m. due to low ceiling and poor visibility. He took off again at 1:22 p.m. and returned to Washington, arriving at about 2:05 p.m. This pilot again departed Washington-Hoover Airport at 3:21 p.m. (EST). He stated that he encountered a severe storm in the vicinity of Leesburg, Virginia, and flew under the clouds to the vicinity of Hillsboro, Virginia, where contact flight became impossible and he was forced to return to Washington, landing the second time at 4:22 p.m. (EST).

Approximately three hours prior to the accident, an Army B-18 bombing plane, when approximately 25 or 30 minutes outside of Washington en route to Pittsburgh, encountered turbulence at 10,000 feet above sea level which the pilot described as exceptional in his experience. Lighting was encountered in close proximity of the plane. At approximately 1:45 p.m., after landing at the Pittsburgh Airport, the pilot reported this experience on the flight from Washington to the clerk on duty at the Air Corps Operations Office at Pittsburgh. An Army pilot departed Bolling Field at 2:55 p.m., August 31, en route to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. The flight proceeded on the Washington Pittsburgh airway to a point approximately twelve miles northwest of