- 8 -
DEEP LAKE 5:36 8000. WINSLOW 6:04 LAS VEGAS 6:45 PMP WITH 100 TOTAL. REQUEST RELEASE IN FLIGHT TO LAS VEGAS."
The following message was then transmitted to the flight, over the signature of the flight superintendent at Burbank, the time of the communication being indicated on the radio log as 4:38 p.m. (PST):
"PROCEED LAS VEGAS SUBJECT CAPTAIN'S DISCRETION ROUTE AC."[1]
In explanation of this modification of the original plans, TWA's chief pilot testified that after Captain Williams reached cruising altitude and had an opportunity to establish ground speed and fuel consumption, he apparently found that he could continue to Las Vegas, without landing at Winslow, with a sufficient reserve supply of fuel remaining in the tanks, thus obviating the necessity of an extra landing and consequent loss of time.
Flight 3 arrived at Las Vegas at 6:36 (PST) and the airplane was serviced with fuel. It departed from Las Vegas at 7:07 p.m., having been cleared to Burbank pursuant to a release transmitted by radio from the Burbank flight superintendent.
After its departure from Las Vegas the airplane was observed by several witnesses who stated that it was farther to the northwest than they were accustomed to seeing the airline planes flying in that vicinity. About 7:22 p.m., 15 minutes after the flight left the ground at Las Vegas, witnesses observed a fire in the vicinity of Potosi Mountain, later identified as the fire which occurred in and about the airplane following impact, and the wreckage was subsequently found at the location previously described.
- ↑ "AC" is TWA's designation of the Winslow-Kingman-Las Vegas route.
