Page:CAB Accident Report, United Airlines Flight 21.pdf/77

 The weather conditions which existed were accurately forecast by both the United States Weather Bureau and by United's meteorologists.

The runways at the Chicago Municipal Airport were in a slippery condition.

Notwithstanding this condition, the east-west runway was sufficiently long and was adequate for a landing under the prevailing wind and weather conditions and had been used by a number of pilots landing at about this time.

The northwest runway was limited in length by a railroad embankment and a landing on it under the existing wind and weather conditions would permit little, if any, margin of safety.

Captain Scott cannot be adversely criticized for descending through the overcast for a landing, and United's dispatcher at Chicago cannot be adversely criticized for permitting him to do so.

United 21 received a traffic clearance from the Air Traffic Control Tower operator permitting the use of either the northwest or the east-west runway.

At 5:41 p.m., United 21 reported contact at an altitude of 900 feet above the ground near the Chicago range station.

At the time Captain Scott broke out of the overcast he had accumulated a quantity of ice on his windshield which impaired his vision sufficiently to cause him to circle the airport for the purpose of clearing his windshield.

After flying for a short period over, and in the vicinity of, the airport under the overcast, he reported to the Airport Control Tower that he