._..2..
Normal radar hand—off was effected between Mldway Tower and Chicago Center. The center radar controller subsequently cleared N 1502 to cllmb to and.ma1nta1n 9,000 feet. A peeltlon report was made over Peotone at 1655, estlmatlng Fort Wayne at 1725. At thls tlme the fllght was cleared from the Chlcago departure control frequency to the Goshen perlpheral frequency. N 1502 reported over fort Wayne at 1724 at 9,000 feet and estlneted arrlval time at Flndlay at 1740 and was advlsed to contact Cleveland Center on 125.8 mes.
Upon contactlng Cleveland Center at 1733, N 1502 gave its posrtlon as over Fort Wayne at 1724, at 9,000 feet, estnnatlng Flndlay omnl at 1740, wlth Appleton omn1 as the next checkp01nt. The controller gave the Flndlay altlmeter settlng as 29.37. The center‘s records 1nd1cate that the fllght reported over Fandlay omni at 1739, at 9,000 feet, estlmatlng Appleton omnl at 1754, wlth Zanesv1lle omnl as the next checkpolnt At thls tlme N 1502 was advlsed to contact Indlanapolls Center on 125.4 mcs.
At approximately 1740, N 1502 contacted Indianapolls Center and gave the fulles- 1ng pos1t10n report "1502 checked Flndlay at 39, at nlne thouSand, estlmatlng Appleton at 56, Zanesvllle, go ahead." Indlanapolls Center acknowledged the peeltlcr report and gave the Columbus altlmeter at 29.92. N 1502 adknowledged; thls was its last transmisslon; none of the radlo contacts suggested any dlfflculty
At 1752, N 1502 was observed by people on the ground to enter a near—vertlcal dlve and crash at a pelnt about three mlles south—southeast of the Marlon, Ohio, Airport. The crash Slte 15 about 15 mlles to one Slde of the fllght's planned a course and the crash occurred a few mlnutes after the alrcraft should have trarersec the area.
An estimated 80 persons were contacted regardlng thelr reported observations of N 1502 prlor to the crash and 19 supplled w1tness statements to 1nvest1gators. In consensus, these statements 1nd1cate the follow1ng.
N 1502 was first observed flylng over the Marlon Munlclpal Alrport on a scath— southeast headlng at about 4,000 feet altltude. (How and why the alrcraft descended from 9,000 feet 1s not known J It was next seen over the U. S Army Engineer Depot, Marion, Oth, st111 on a south~southeast heading. The next p031tlve observance of the alrcraft was when 1t was turning from an easterly headlng to the north. At this tlme the alrcraft was observed to make a "short" climb and then continue the turn to a northerly headlng. The alrcraft malntalned thls northerly headlng and was shortly seen to enter a dlve, descrlhed as vertlcal At the start of the dlve the alrcraft was at an altitude of approxlmately 4,000 feet.
Wltness descrlptlons of the sound created by the powerplants 1ndlcate that the maximum or near max1mum power was belng developed by both engines throughout that portlon of the flight when the alrcraft altered headlng from the south—southeast to the north. N 1502, galnlng altltnde throughout the turn, contlnued to climb after reaching the northerly heading. At thls p01nt power nelse became less and the alr- craft was observed to enter the reported vertlcal dlve ulth power agaln applied, at or near marlmum, contlnulng until 1mpact.
Accordlng to local persons the weather at the tlme of the acoldent was substan1 tlally as follows:
