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or distortion of the wings or tail surfaces during flight. All breaks and damage to the structure appeared to have been caused by impact or by the movement of the various parts over the ground following the initial impact. Therefore, it does not seem probable that structural failure during flight contributed, to the accident.
Personnel Disability
By reason of the fact that the airplane plunged to the ground with power on, it is possible that for some reason the pilot and copilot were prevented from effectively operating the controls. The evidence shows that both Captain Scroggins and First Officer Moore were in good physical condition and in normal spirits at the time of departure from the Washington-Hoover Airport. There is no record or other indication that either of these pilots was subject to physical disabilities which would incapacitate him without waning. Moreover, it would be necessary to find that both pilots became incapacitated at just about the same time, for if only one pilot should be disabled and fall forward on the control column, the other pilot would not be called upon to exert extraordinary force in order to maintain control of the airplane.
It cannot be definitely said that both the Captain and the First Officer were in their respective seats in the pilot's compartment at the time of the accident. It is the usual practice for air carrier pilots to visit the passenger cabin sometime during the flight, but under ordinary circumstances such visits would not be made until after the airplane had reached its cruising altitude and then only under conditions of favorable weather. Since the accident occurred within about twenty minutes following take-off from Washington-Hoover Airport and the storm condition was being approached just prior to the accident, we find no reason to believe that both the Captain and the First Officer were not in their respective seats at the time of the accident.
