Page:CAB Accident Report, Piedmont Airlines Flight 349.pdf/14



The Civil Aeronautics Board was notified of the accident shortly after the flight was presumed to have crashed. Board investigators were immediately dispatched to Charlottesville and participated in the search and rescue activity until the aircraft was located. Thereafter, an investigation was initiated and conducted in accordance with the provisions of Title VII of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. A public hearing was held in conjunction with the investigation in Charlottesville, Virginia, December 10–11, 1959.

Piedmont Airlines is the Airline Division of Piedmont Aviation, Inc. The company is incorporated in North Carolina with its principal offices in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The Piedmont Airlines Division of the company was established in 1947. It operates under a currently effective certificate of public convenience and necessity issued to the company by the Civil Aeronautics Board and an air carrier operating certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Agency. These authorize the company to transport by air persons, property, and mail over various routes including the one involved in the accident.

Captain George Lavrinc, age 32, was employed by Piedmont Aviation January 23, 1950. He was employed in the radio department and transferred to the Airline Division November 24, 1951. He was promoted to reserve captain on May 1, 1957. Captain Lavrinc held a valid FAA airline transport pilot certificate with a DC-3 aircraft rating. Company records showed he had flown 5,101 hours, of which 4,771 were in DC-3 aircraft. His last first-class medical mas satisfactorily accomplished October 13, 1959. His last semiannual proficiency flight check was satisfactorily accomplished May 26, 1959.

First Office Bascom L Haley, age 27, was employed by Piedmont Airlines on May 2, 1957 He held a valid FAA commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating. According to company records he had accumulated 2,858 hours, of which 1,678 were in DC-3 aircraft. His last first-class medical examination was satisfactorily accomplished May 12, 1959.

DC-3, N 55V, was manufactured June 2, 1944, and procured by Piedmont Aviation on January 24, 1955. It had been flown a total of 26,339 hours. The aircraft had been flown 83 hours since the last No. 4 inspection. The engines were Pratt and Whitney, model R-1830092, equipped with Hamilton Standard model 23E50 propellers.