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15. The wheels of the aircraft first touched the ground approximately 1,875 feet from Coldwater Creek, which runs near the boundary of the airport on the south and west.
16. Due to the limited area available and the slippery condition of the turf, Captain Susott was unable to bring the aircraft to a stop before it rolled into the creek.
17. Aircraft NC 16015 and all of its equipment functioned normally during the entire flight.
18. The weather forecasts and observations upon which Captain Susott depended were made without substantial error.
19. The airway aids to navigation available for use by Captain Susott were functioning satisfactorily.
Probable Cause
Upon the basis of the foregoing findings of fact and upon all of the evidence available to us at this time, we find that the probable cause of the accident to NC 16015 (American Airlines' Trip 9) on December 11, 1940, was the clearly incautious attempt by the pilot to land the airplane under circumstances unfavorable to a safe landing.
Recommendation
The Board has recommended to the Administrator that the weather letters of competency issued by him to air carriers be amended to provide that when a solid cloud cover prevails at an altitude of 800 feet or less and the horizontal visibility is officially reported to be less than five miles, the height of the ceiling shall be from the base of the lowest cloud form
