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New Florence, Missouri, the ceiling at St. Louis had lowered to 600 feet, visibility two miles, with scattered clouds at 300 feet. The 3:55 a.m. St. Louis weather report which was broadcast to the Captain at 4:04 a.m. indicated a ceiling of 500 feet, visibility one and one-half miles with scattered clouds at 200 feet. These weather reports were broadcast to Trip 6 by the TWA radio operator on duty at St. Louis. The 4:09 a.m. Weather Bureau report, which was broadcast at 4:10 a.m. over the simultaneous St. Louis radio range, indicated a ceiling of 400 feet, variable, visibility two miles, light drizzle, light fog, wind NNE 5 m.p.h., with scattered clouds at 200 feet.
In view of the fact that the pilot knew that the weather was showing a definite downward trend and that the last report received by him indicated that the ceiling had reaches the minimum of 400 feet prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration and was variable, Captain Scott should have exercised the utmost caution during the final approach not to ascend below that minimum in order to break out under the overcast. Captain Scott apparently did not exercise that degree of caution. First Officer DioGuardi estimated that at the time the airplane broke out of the overcast its altitude was approximately 300 feet above the ground. Captain Scott, upon discovering that the overcast extended below the approved minimum altitude of 400 feet, had a clear duty to apply power and proceed to his alternate airport instead of continuing with his landing approach.
It is reasonable to believe that Captain Scott first intended to land on the No. 1 runway but that, after breaking out of the
