- 7 -
procedure. At 8:23 p. m. the flight requested and was given the latest Buffalo weather which indicated a ceiling of 3700 feet, overcast, visibility 2 miles, light fog, light smoke, temperature 47, dew point 44, wind ENE 3 m.p.h. A normal descent was made and after contact with the Buffalo control tower[1] a landing was effected on the airport at 8:47 p.m. Immediately after the arrival of Flight 1 at the loading ramp, the usual service inspection of the aircraft was made.
At this point, in accordance with American's procedure,[2] it was necessary for the flight to obtain a new clearance from the flight superintendent in Chicago before continuing to Detroit. American's office at Buffalo had been previously advised by the flight superintendent that it would be necessary to delay the flight at Buffalo in order that the 8:30 p.m. weather sequence reports could be checked. While awaiting receipt of the clearance, Captain Cooper also checked the 8:30 p.m. weather reports apparently to determine the condition of the weather west of Detroit. The report showed that the weather conditions over the Buffalo-Detroit portion of the route were satisfactory.[3] At 8:50 p.m. the Buffalo office was advised by the flight superintendent at Chicago that Trip 1 was cleared to Detroit with Toledo, Ohio, as the alternate airport. The airplane had been serviced with 117 gallons of gasoline and 18 quarts of oil making a total on board of 507 gallons of gasoline and 160 quarts of oil. This was ample fuel for the flight from Buffalo to Detroit at normal cruising speed and thereafter to Toledo, its alternate airport, with enough reserve fuel remaining to enable it to cruise for about 3¼ hours.
Flight 1 departed from Buffalo at 9:07 p.m., the additional delay having been caused by the captain's checking the weather. The total weight of the airplane on departure from Buffalo, including mail, express, company material, fuel, 17 passengers and a crew of 3, was 24,541 pounds, which is five pounds within the approved standard weight and 805 pounds below the maximum weight allowed for take-off.[4] The records show that the airplane was loaded so that the center of gravity was within the limitations prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.[5]
Immediately after the take-off, Flight 1 made a radio check with American's Buffalo station to make sure that the aircraft's transmitter and receiver, used for communication with American's ground stations, were operating normally on 3432.5 kilocycles to which they had been changed at Buffalo. This radio check was satisfactory and at 9:18 p.m., American's Detroit station transmitted to the flight and received an acknowledgement of the Airway Control clearance approving the flight to Detroit. No traffic was reported on the airway
- ↑ Airport control towers are erected and maintained at various municipal airports for the purpose of regulating the flow of air traffic in the vicinity of the airport, in order to eliminate the possibility of collision between aircraft. These towers are normally equipped with radio receivers tuned to air carrier company frequencies, as well as those frequencies used by military and privately-owned aircraft. They are also usually equipped with a transmitter which operates on 278 kilocycles.
- ↑ American has two dispatching points on Route AM 7, one is located in New York and the other in Chicago. The New York flight superintendent maintains supervision over the flight from New York to Buffalo but not including Buffalo. The Chicago flight superintendent maintains supervision over flights from Buffalo west on Route AM 7.
- ↑ See Appendix C for the 8:30 p.m. United States Weather Bureau sequence reports for the Buffalo-Chicago area.
- ↑ See footnote 4 on page 5.
- ↑ The center of gravity limitations prescribed by the Administrator for this airplane were Forward 11%, Rearward 28%.
