Aviation Accident Report: Eastern Airlines crash on 26 November 1940

by the Civil Aeronautics Board

CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

WASHINGTON, D. C.

FOR RELEASE:

REPORT OF THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD
of the

Investigation of an Accident Involving Aircraft
in Scheduled Air Carrier Operation

 

4101-40

 

An accident involving a scheduled air carrier occurred at the Atlanta Municipal Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, about 12:48 p.m. (CST) on November 26, 1940, when a Douglas DC-3, Nc 16082, owned and operated by Eastern Air Lines, was damaged. There were no personal injuries. The pilot was James J. Garrigan, who held an Airline Transport certificate with ratings of 4H Land and 2S Land and who had accumulated approximately 4,258 hours flying time. The co-pilot was Junius D. Lorrison, who held a Commercial certificate with 1 Land, 2S Land, Instructor, and Instrument ratings, and who had flown approximately 1,435 hours.

On a scheduled trip between New York, New York, and Atlanta, Georgia, the aircraft arrived over the Atlanta Range Station at approximately 12:35 p.m. A standard instrument approach was made and contact flight was established at about 300 feet. The pilot attempted to land on the east-west runway, toward the east, but undershot, contacting the ground about 8 feet from the field boundary and 75 feet from the runway. The wheels struck the boundary, made up of loose rocks approximately fifteen inches high. The aircraft bounced into the air slightly, contacted the ground again very smoothly, and rolled straight ahead for several hundred feet before veering to the right and coming to rest about 1800 feet from the field boundary.

Subsequent investigation indicated that the right landing gear failed when it struck the rocks. The company weather report, received by the pilot, stated that the ceiling was 400 feet, visibility 2 miles, light rain, wind east 20, gusty. It was also disclosed that the subject runway is only 2600 feet in length and that, on account of its slippery condition when wet, it is the practice of pilots, when approaching from the West, to come in low over the airport boundary so as to take advantage of all available landing area.

PROBABLE CAUSE

Failure of pilot to maintain sufficient altitude in approach for landing.