Page:CAB Accident Report, TWA Flight 3 (January 1942).pdf/6

 First Officer Gillette, aged 25, held a commercial pilot certificate and had a total flying time of 1330 hours, 650 of which had been in DC-3 airplanes. He was employed by TWA on August 1, 1940, and was assigned to the Albuquerque-Burbank Division on February 22, 1941. Since then he had made six trips which included landing at, or passing over, Las Vegas, and 37 trips which included landing at, or passing over, Boulder City. He was also qualified as a reserve first officer on TWA'S Boeing S307-B's. His rest period prior to departure from Albuquerque on the day of the accident was 15 hours, 24 minutes.

It appears from the evidence that both Captain Williams and First Officer Gillette were physically qualified, and held proper certificates of competency for the flight involved.

Aircraft NC 1946 was a DC-3, manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc., of Santa Monica, California. It was completed February 24, 1941, and was delivered to TWA March 3, 1941. The airplane was powered with two Wright Cyclone G202A engines, each rated at 1200 horsepower for take-off, and was equipped with Hamilton Standard constant speed, hydromatic, full-feathering propellers. This model airplane had been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration for air carrier operation over the routes flown by TWA with 24 passengers and a crew of four. The evidence indicates that the airplane and its equipment had received the overhauls, periodic inspections, and checks which are required company practice and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, and that the airplane was in an airworthy condition on departure from Las Vegas on the day of the accident.

It is not possible to arrive at a precise determination of the actual gross weight and c.g. location of the aircraft at the time it took off