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accordance with the current approved loading schedule prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
The total operating time on the airplane at the time of the accident was approximately 2,261 hours, 558 of which had been accumulated since July 20, 1941, the date of the last overhaul. Approximately 31 hours of operating time had been accumulated since the last 150-hour inspection. A "turn around" inspection had been made at Pittsburgh on the day of the accident. The maintenance records produced by PCA indicate that the airplane and its equipment had received the overhauls, periodic inspections, and checks which are required by company practice and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Furthermore, the evidence indicates that the airplane was in an airworthy condition when it was dispatched from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the day of the accident.
History of the Flight
PCA's Trip 142 on October 2, 1941, originated at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Birmingham, Alabama, as its destination. Several intermediate stops were scheduled, the first at Morgantown, West Virginia. During the landing at that point, the accident occurred.
Departure from Pittsburgh had bean delayed for approximately 35 minutes because the ceiling and visibility at the Morgantown Airport had been below the weather minimums prescribed in the operations specifications issued to PCA by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. These specifications permitted landings only under contact condition, with a minimum ceiling of 1000 feet
3/ A loading schedule for an aircraft provides for distribution of passengers, cargo and fuel in such manner as to maintain the center of gravity within approved limits.
