Page:CAB Accident Report, TWA crash on 17 May 1940.pdf/4

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as Flight Engineer and Alternate Flight Engineer, respectively. G. B. Cox, TWA employee was assigned as stenographer for the flight. Hostesses Easter Benefield, E. L. Swarner and Ida Staggers completed the flight crew.

The following non-revenue passengers were on board the aircraft as observers: B. R. Gaines, Civil Aeronautics Authority Air Carrier Inspector (Radio Observer), G. W. Halðeman, Civil Aeronautics Authority Senior Aeronautical Engineering Inspector, M. L. Cunningham, Civil Aeronautics Authority Air Carrier Inspector (Operations), C. A. Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Passenger Transportation, TWA, Feliz Preeg, Flight Captain, TWA, William Kaxfield, Superintendent of Maintenance, TWA, E. J. Minster, Chief Meteorologist, TWA; H. K. Morgan, Superintendent of Communications, TWA, J. F. Albert, Flight Superintendent, TWA, Fred Wallace, Stenographer, TWA, R. L. Rouzie, Engineer, Boeing Aircraft Corporation.

The aircraft was fueled with 1275 gallons of gasoline which was distributed between the main fuel tanks and the inboard reserve tanks. The aircraft was also fueled with 352 quarts of oil. Computations of the load aboard at the time of take-off indicated that the aircraft was within its approved gross loading limit of 45,000 pounds.

The flight was dispatched in a normal manner at 2:30 p.m. (CST) and cleared to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The flight plan which had been approved by Air Traffic Control at Kansas City[1] indicated


  1. The Airway Traffic Control staff, a part of the Civil Aeronautics Administration, regulates the flow of traffic over the civil airways during instrument weather conditions in order to eliminate the possibility of collision between aircraft. Before flying on a civil airway under instrument weather conditions, approval must be secured from Airway Traffic Control for the flight, including the altitude at which it is to be flown.