- 2 -
The engines, propellers, and certain other parts of the airplane were removed from the scene of the accident and shipped under seal by common carrier to Eastern Air Lines' maintenance shop at Miami, Florida, so that a more complete inspection might be made of them. The disassembling and inspection of the engines and other equipment at Miami were done under the direct supervision of the Board's power plant engineer. After the inspection of all of the parts of the aircraft was completed by the Board on March 8, 1941, the aircraft was released to Eastern Air Lines.
Public Hearing
In connection with the investigation of the accident, a public hearing was held at Atlanta, Georgia, beginning on March 6 and continuing through March 9, 1941. G. Grant Mason, Jr., one of the five members of the Board, was designated by the Board to preside at the hearing. He was assisted by Robert W. Chrisp, Attorney of the Board, who acted as Associate Examiner; Jerome Lederer, Director of the Safety Bureau of the Board; Frank E. Caldwell, Chief of the Investigation Division of the Safety Bureau; Paul A. Gareau, Air Safety Specialist in Meteorology of the Safety Bureau; and James E. Peyton, Investigator in Charge of the Atlanta Office of the Safety Bureau.
All of the evidence available to the Board at that time was presented at the hearing. Testimony was given by forty witnesses, including witnesses from the vicinity of the accident and experts in various technical subjects, and fifty-seven exhibits were introduced. The depositions of seven persons who were passengers on the airplane at the time of the accident were read into the record at the hearing. The other surviving passenger, Captain E. V. Rickenbacker, President of Eastern Air Lines, was in such a critical condition that it was impossible to obtain a
