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The plane departed from Los Angeles at 4:00 p.m. PST and arrived at Albuquerque, New Mexico, at 8:50 p.m. CST. After refueling at Albuquerque, the plane departed for Kansas City at 9:15 p.m. It was cleared by the company for instrument flying on the strength of official weather reports and forecast favorable for this kind of flying. This clearance was issued notwithstanding the fact that the western night frequency of the plane's two-way radio was not functioning. Later events show that the crew of the plane were unable to effectively communicate with ground stations which prevented them from transmitting requests for information or instructions or reporting the progress of the flight.
At 2:00 am CST, about 26 minutes after the airplane had passed over Wichita, Kansas, official weather reports which had been broadcast by the Department of Commerce, available to both the ground personnel and the crew, disclosed that the ceiling at Kansas City had dropped to 600 feet, which was lower than the authorized minimum ceiling of 700 feet for landing at that point. The plane, due at Kansas City at 2:30 am, was allowed to proceed toward Kansas City and at 2:50 am, the company's ground station at Kansas City directed a radio message over the company's frequency to the pilot instructing him to attempt a landing, although the ceiling was then much lower than the authorized minimum.
It is not known that this or any other massage was received on the company's frequency by the pilot because no radio contacts had been established with the plane after its departure from Albuquerque. Possibly he made an attempt to land at Kansas City but he was not heard or seen over the airport.
Not having heard from the plane at Kansas City at 3:00 a.m., the company directed the following radio message to the pilot; "Proceed toward Burlington as Burlington or Kirksville are the best available fields." At 5:15 a.m.,
