- 8 -
be given the pilot from Pittsburgh after he had reported his position over Scottsdale. The estimated time of arrival was 3:30 p.m.
The weather forecast made by the United States Weather Bureau for the Washington-Pittsburgh area for the period 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. was available to the pilot prior to take-off and the record shows that the forecast, together with sequence weather reports, was examined by the crew prior to preparation of the flight plan. The forecast predicted that overcast to occasionally broken clouds would exist from the mountains eastward, with scattered showers through the mountains and some mild thunderstorms in the afternoon. Winds aloft of 20 to 30 miles per hour at 250 to 270 degrees were forecast[1]
The trip departed from the ramp at Washington-Hoover Airport at 2:05 p.m. having been delayed awaiting a local passenger. After taxiing out to the take-off position and running the engines up preparatory to taking off, the oil gauge for the right engine showed that the oil pressure in that engine was below normal. The airplane was then taxied back to the loading ramp where, at the request of the pilot, a Pennsylvania-Central Airlines mechanic made the appropriate adjustment to the oil filter to relieve it of any sediment which might be interfering with the oil flow. After this mechanical adjustment[2] had been made, the co-pilot indicated that the oil pressure was normal, and the airplane again left the ramp at 2:18 p.m. and following a run-up of the engines at the end of the runway, took off at 2:21 p.m.
At 2:31 p.m., Trip 19 made the following position report to the Washington-Hoover Airport:
"Trip 19 Herndon fan-marker 2:31; 4000; climbing; contact."
The airplane crashed about 2:41 p.m. (EST) at a point approximately 2½ miles west of Lovettsville, Virginia, and approximately 25 miles northwest of the Herndon fan-marker. The crash occurred about one-half mile east of the base of Short Hill and approximately 5 miles to the right (i.e., northeast) of the on course signal of the northwest leg of the Washington radio range at an elevation of about 550 feet above sea level. The terrain in the immediate vicinity is rolling and consists mainly of farm land interspersed with wooded areas. Short Hill is a ridge, the crest of which rises in the neighborhood of Lovesttsville to 1300 to 1500 feet above sea level and to about 750 feet above the level of the terrain at the point where the accident occurred. This ridge, which extends about 15 miles in a generally north and south direction, is the eastern most of the major ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
- ↑ See Appendix B for weather analysis, official Weather Bureau forecast, and hourly sequence reports.
- ↑ To be discussed hereinafter on page 52.
