Page:CAB Accident Report, Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 19.pdf/84

  in several years.

The descent of the aircraft began approximately at the time of its entering the area of intense rainfall.

The air through which the airplane was flying at the time of the accident was turbulent.

The airplane did not spin or undergo any substantial lateral deviation from its course during its descent.

At some time during the descent the propellers were turning at substantially above their rated speed.

The speed of the aircraft at the instant of striking the ground approached or exceeded 300 miles per hour.

This speed could have been reached in a steady descent from cruising altitude along a path inclined 30 degrees to the horizontal.

The aircraft at the time of take-off was loaded very nearly up to its maximum weight limit, but was clearly within that limit.</li>

<li>The center of gravity of the airplane was in an intermediate position and the airplane would have had strongly positive longitudinal stability as a result.</li>

<li>To maintain a path angle inclined as much as 30 degrees to the horizontal or any steeper angle, it would have been necessary to maintain a steady pressure of at least 40 pounds against the control columns, or to jam or block the controls in a fixed position.</li>

<li>The altitude and position of the airplane at the time of the first indications of trouble was such that if the difficulty had been a power plant failure the pilot could have turned back completely out of </li></ol>