Page:CAB Accident Report, Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 19.pdf/62

 which followed the blast carried the papers high in the air despite the heavy rain and they floated down to the places at which they were found.

It would not be unusual to find up currents moving at substantial speeds in a storm such as the one in process at time of the accident. Such a current further augmented by a blast of hot air from burning gasoline could conceivably carry papers, such as were found, to a considerable height. Even a comparatively mild breeze from the northwest could then have carried them to the points where they were found. It is noteworthy that material such as the flight calculator and manila envelope were carried the furthest and it is believed that this is due to the fact that such materials would be slower to absorb moisture than lighter papers which were found closer to the scene of the accident.

Tests were conducted by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics on a wet manila envelope such as that retrieved from the accident. The result, when considered in conjunction with the evidence of the gasoline explosion at the time of impact and the consequent vertical atmospheric currents, leads to the conclusion that the flight of the envelope from the scene of the crash to a point 1¼ miles distant is not only possible but highly probable.

This theory is supported not only by the evidence, which indicates that there was no fire in the air, but also by the fact that the scorch marks on the manila envelope and other papers found at various points southeast of the accident are similar in character to those on papers found at the scene of the accident.

Therefore, we conclude from the preponderance of the evidence disclosed by the investigation, that the only fire that occurred took place following the impact.