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Mrs. Loila Shoemaker, whose home is located on the east side and right at the base of Short Hill about 1/4 mile west of, and somewhat above, the scene of the accident, stated that a torrential downpour began about 2 o'clock in the afternoon of August 31. She saw some lightning and heard some thunder during the rain storm and she said that about 2:45 p.m. she heard a strange noise, so loud that she put her hands over her ears. The sound was over in less than a minute. She stated that just after she heard this sound the wind was blowing "fairly strong" in an easterly direction from the mountain. She noticed the treetops were banding over.
The record contains statements by several pilots who were flying the Washington-Pittsburgh airway near the scene of the accident within a few minutes of the time it occurred. Two of these pilots were operating Pennsylvania-Central Airlines Trips 8 and 8-1, the former reaching a point about 10 miles south of the scene of the accident at approximately 2:35 p.m., and the latter at approximately 2:50 p.m. Both of these pilots stated that with the exception of about two or three minutes of instrument flying shortly after leaving Pittsburgh they flew by visual reference to the ground approximately as far as Charles Town, West Virginia. As they approached Charles Town they saw a cloud formation which extended several thousand feet above the altitude at which they were flying. They were descending at this point and entered the cloud formation at 6000 feet, Trip 8 breaking out under the overcast at 3000 feet about five miles west of Leesburg, Virginia, and Trip 8-1 breaking out at 3000 feet about three miles southwest of Leesburg. When they broke out Trip 8 was about 10 miles south of the scene of the accident, and Trip 8-1 was about 14 miles southeast. Both stated that they encountered
