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were found in the aircraft wreckage; however, no terminal forecast, SIGMET, area forecast, Mohawk weather message, or other weather documents were found. When this fact is compared with the testimony of the Ithaca Customer Service Agent that these documents were not given the flight, it appears that Mohawk Airlines did not properly dispatch Flight 115 from Ithaca to Rochester.
The Customer Service Agent at Rochester placed the flight documents on the operations office desk for the captain's signature. The weather documents reportedly included the 1600 Service A sequence report and the 1453 Mohawk weather message. Not included were the 1415 aviation severe weather forecast, the 1430 SIGMET, or the 1445 amended Rochester terminal forecast. These documents were available at United Air Lines. The failure to provide this weather information is contrary to the provisions of the Civil Air Regulations[1] in the dispatch of Flight 112 from Rochester.
In the dispatching of Flights 115 and 112 from Ithaca and Rochester the latest available weather forecasts were not provided and were not attached to the dispatch release form. This was contrary to the Company's Operations Manual and the Civil Air Regulations.[2] Copies of the dispatch documents and attachments were not found in the Ithaca or Rochester station files, nor were copies of the Rochester dispatch documents found in the wrecked airplane, leading to the conclusion that Captain Dennis was not given a copy. This procedure appears to be contrary to the Company's Operations Manual[3] and the Civil Air Regulations.[4] However, the Federal Aviation Agency Air Carrier Inspector assigned to Mohawk explained that the company maintained
- ↑ CAR 40.35 states "The air carrier shall show that sufficient weather reporting services are available along the route to insure weather reports and forecasts necessary for the operation. Forecasts used to control flight movements shall be prepared from weather reports furnished in accordance with paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section as appropriate. (a) For operations within the continental limits of the United States, weather reports used to control flight movements shall be those prepared by the United States Weather Bureau, or by a source approved by the Weather Bureau...."
- ↑ CAR 40.503(b) states "The dispatch release shall contain, or have attached thereto, weather reports, available weather forecasts, or a combination thereof, for the destination, intermediate stops, and alternates specified therein which shall be the latest available at the time the dispatch release is signed by the pilot-in-command and the dispatcher. It shall include such additional weather reports and forecasts, as available, considered necessary or desirable by the pilot-in-command and the aircraft dispatcher."
- ↑ Mohawk Airlines Operations Manual 03:04:06 states as follows: "All releases shall be prepared in duplicate and with signatures appearing on both copies. Station shall maintain a copy of each attachment furnished a flight... File copies of all releases shall be kept for a period of three months."
- ↑ CAR 40.505 states "Copies of the completed load manifest, or information therefrom except with respect to cargo and passenger distribution, the dispatch release form, and the flight plan shall be in the possession of the pilot-in-command and shall be carried in the airplane to its destination..."
