Page:CAB Accident Report, United Airlines Flight 21.pdf/58

 "'Chicago, Illinois. Until further notice the unfinished north portion of the Chicago Municipal Airport north of the railroad tracks cannot under any circumstances be used, even for emergency landings. Material used for concrete is piled upon the future runways and ditches extend all along the side of these future runways. Men are working and tracks operated during the day, making any use of this north portion impracticable and very dangerous either day or night. Only that portion south of the railroad track is available for use.'"

The record shows that the City of Chicago is at the present time constructing a right-of-way for the Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad around the airport and Mr. John Casey, the manager of the airport, testified at the hearing that he expected this construction work to be completed in March, 1941, at which time the railroad would relinquish its right-of-way across the field. Mr. Casey expected that the northern and southern portions of the airport would be connected and the airport completed by April 1, 1941. When completed, the usable length of the east-west runways will be approximately 4200 feet, the northwest-southeast runway approximately 6000 feet, and the north-south runways approximately 4300 feet.

David L. Behncke, President of the Air Line Pilots Association, testified that the airport as it now exists was designed for equipment much smaller than the equipment now being used, but that with the railroad tracks removed, it would rate as one of the best airports in the country.

From the testimony of several airline pilots who have been using the Chicago airport for many years, it appears that the southeast-northwest runway is too short for anything but normal operation under favorable