- 16 -
5:47 P. M.
United 21: "United 21 will land northwest instead of west." Tower: "That is O.K. United 21. It is still clear." United 21: "O.K."
In attempting to determine the probable flight path of United 21 from the time it broke out of the overcast near the range station until it crashed just southeast of the airport, we have available, in addition to the control tower log, the statement of a number of eye witnesses to various portion of this flight.
Mr. Fred Brown, a mechanic for American Airlines, testified that he was standing in front of the airport Administration Building, which is located on the eastern boundary of the field about 650 feet north of the south boundary of the field. He first noticed the airplane to the northwest over the range station,[1] with its landing light on, travelling due south across the west end of the field at an altitude of 1,000 feet. At a point approximated by the witness as three-fourths of a mile south of the field, the aircraft was described as entering into a very shallow left turn and continuing in the shallow left turn its entire eastward course south of the field to a point again approximated by the witness as two miles southeast of the field. Another left turn was made into line with the northwest runway and the aircraft then proceeded toward the field on a straight approach. The witness stated that all maneuvers and the approach up to this point appeared
- ↑ The Chicago range station is a point approximately two and one-half miles northwest of the center of the airport.
