- 3 -
A thunderstorm had passed through the Marion, Ohio, area an estimated 30 minutes prior to the crash. Light rain was falling at the time with light winds reported. The ceiling was estimated as 1,500 feet to 4,500 feet. There were no reports of lightning or thunder in the area at the time of the crash.
Radar observations made by the Weather Bureau at Columbus, Ohio, and Canton - Akron, Ohio, at 1700 showed a 10-mile wide belt of thunderstorms running generally from northeast to southwest just west of Marion, Ohio. Findlay, Ohio, about 35 miles northwest of Marion, had thunderstorms and rain shower activity at this time. A surface barometric pressure jump of 05 of an inch occurred at Findlay at 1318 during the passage of a thunderstorm.
A severe weather warning was issued at 1140 July 1 by the Weather Bureau's Severe Local Storm office at Kansas City The text of this warning was as follows
"Line thunderstorms at 12003 from northeastern Indiana southward to western Kentucky and western Tennessee expected to move eastward about 25 knots intensifying during afternoon. Northern portion line more active with a few severe thunderstorms with 1/2 to 3/4 isolated one inch hall aloft isolated extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 50 kts isolated 60 kts expected in area 60 miles either side of a line from 30 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, to 25 miles north Bradford, Pennsylvania. Valid 13003 to 2100E. Isolated heavy thunderstorms expected southward along lane through southern Ohio central. Kentucky and western and central Tennessee as this line moves eastward during afternoon and early evening. . "
An amendment to this warning was issued at 1225 and read as follows: "Revise severe limits to read 1/2 to 3/4 1solated one inch hail surface and aloft isolated extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 55 kts isolated 65 kts valid 1330 and 2100E. Pub Fest Issued. . ."
The aviation area forecast issued by the Weather Bureau at Chicago at 1252 read in part as follows.
"Deepening surface low over northern Lake Michigan with cold front southward across extreme western lower Michigan - Goshen, Indiana, with front continuing eastward at 20 knots for next 12 hours. A squall line NNE-SSW across extreme north-eastern Indiana with occasional ceiling 1,500 feet, sky obscured, visibility two miles, thunderstorm, rainshower, gusts to 50 knots moving out of northeastern Indiana by 14000 to 16000."
The Weather Bureau forecast office at Cincinnati issued the following flash advisory at 1542:
"Cold front at 1700E, 50 miles SE of Ft. Wayne to near Paducah moving eastward 15-20 knots with series of squall lines east of front through southern and central Ohio, northern Kentucky, northwest West Virginia. Locally precipitation ceiling 500 feet sky obscured, visibility 1/2 mile thunderstorm heavy rain shower in front and squall lines with severe turbulence and hall. Valid until 21003."
FAA procedures, at the time, did not require transmission of the above severe weather information to the flight on ground initiative. However, any or all of it could and would have been given to the flight on request. No such request was made.
