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Trip 143 departed from the Charleston loading ramp at 4:28 p.m. (EST). The 4:35 p.m. weather report from Charleston indicated that there was a ceiling at an estimated height of 4000 feet, with high broken and lower broken clouds, visibility five miles, light smoke, temperature 81, dew point 49. There was a west-southwest wind of 12 m.p.h.
In describing the flight,[1] Captain Wright stated that he taxied to the east end of the east-northeast—west-southwest runway, the usable length of which is 2900 feet, and that he then ran up both engines at 28 inches indicated[2] manifold pressure. The right engine turned 2150 r.p.m. and the left turned 2125 r.p.m. At approximately 4:30 p.m. Captain Wright started the take-off toward the southwest on the runway. For the take-off Captain Wright used 34 inches of manifold pressure at 2200 r.p.m. Subsequent calculations showed that this represented 502 h.p from each engine under existing conditions of temperature, relative humidity and altitude. The aircraft left the ground at an air speed of approximately 80 m.p.h. and retraction of the landing gear was started immediately.
According to Captain Wright's testimony, about five seconds after the airplane had left the ground the right engine lost power in much the same manner as if the throttle had been closed.
