-10-
light fog, and visibility one and one-half miles. The weather at Memphis, the alternate airport for St. Louis, was unlimited, with high broken clouds, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, and visibility more than 10 miles.
The trip departed from the ramp at the Chicago Municipal Airport at 12:47 P. M., having been delayed seven minutes on account of mail. According to the testimony of Captain Susott, after takeoff the flight proceeded normally, making a radio position report over Joliet at 4,000 feet, on instruments, at 1:07 P. M. and crossing the Bloomington, Illinois, radio range intersection (about 110 miles southwest of Chicago) at 6,000 feet between layers of clouds at 1:57 P. M. At 2:02 P. M. a radio check was made over Springfield, Illinois (about 75 miles northeast of St. Louis) at 6,000 feet. Weather conditions at St. Louis were reported to the pilot at 2:03 P. M. by the company radio operator there, and acknowledged by the pilot. The report indicated that the ceiling was 400 feet, variable with scattered clouds at 200 feet, visibility one mile, light rain, light fog, temperature 35, dew point 35, and wind northeast five miles per hour.[1]
- ↑ Weather minimums are prescribed, in accordance with the Civil Air Regulations, in competency letters issued to air carriers by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. The weather minimums for American Airlines at Lambert-St. Louis Airport were, at the time of the accident, 400 feet altitude and one mile visibility.
