Page:CAB Accident Report, United AIr Lines Flight 26.pdf/2

Rh the influence of a strong southwest wind which had been forecast.

The captain subsequently stated that he switched the radio receiver to 278 kilocycles, the frequency of the Burbank localizer, and that the localizer did not sound normal. He asked the first officer to dial 278 kilocycles on the auxiliary receiver; the localizer sounded the same on that instrument. The captain later stated that he became concerned over the situation, especially since he did not receive a signal from the Newhall Pass Fan Marker, and that he then thought it advisable to discontinue the instrument let-down. He had by this time leveled out at 4500 feet. He glanced out the window and saw something dark which, he subsequently stated, he thought was a break. He glanced at the altimeter which read, so he states, 4200 feet and pulled the nose up. He opened his side window for better vision but could see nothing. He then look around and, at that instant, saw a tree in line with the left motor, just as the aircraft struck it with the left propeller and landing gear. He pulled up rapidly and opened the throttles wide. The first officer raised the landing gear. After the initial zoom and subsequent leveling off, the captain turned right to 270 degrees and held that heading until he had reached an altitude of approximately 5500 feet. He then turned left to 180 degrees and climbed straight ahead until he was on top of the overcast.

As the airplane was apparently not damaged to any appreciable extent, the captain and first officer attempted to establish radio contact with Burbank again. Being able to operate the auxiliary receiver on the top antenna, the pilot called Burbank to advise that he was climbing out. He also asked Burbank to check the localizer because, Captain Davis subsequently stated, he feared that the "N" signal was being received in all quadrants. The crew did not report, by radio, that the airplane had struck a tree.