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At 9:42 p.m., Flight 1 reported that it passed over Jarvis, Ontario (approximately 67 miles west of Buffalo), at 9:39 p.m. at 4000 feet and estimated arrival at the Florence, Ontario, intersection (west leg of Strathborn, Ontario, range and the northeast leg of the Windsor, Ontario, range)[1] at 10:20 p.m. at 4000 feet. This was one minute behind the estimate given the Buffalo station on the clearance. At the time of this contact, Flight 1 requested advice as to the disposition of the flight at Detroit. At 9:44 p.m., American's Detroit station informed the flight that it was still subject to instructions pending the receipt of information from the flight superintendent for the Detroit-Chicago portion of the flight. This was the last radio contact that was acknowledged by Flight 1.
Neither the flight superintendent at Chicago nor American's Detroit station became concerned over Flight 1 until it failed to report over the Florence intersection at 10:20 p.m. The Detroit radio operator broadcast to the flight at 10:38 p.m. the Detroit Airway Traffic Control clearance for Flight 1 clearing it to the Detroit control tower to make a standard approach. Following this broadcast numerous attempts were made by both American and Civil Aeronautics radio stations at Detroit, Buffalo and Chicago to contact the flight but none of these attempts was successful.
At 11:10 p.m. a pilot officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force near St. Thomas, Ontario, called Detroit by telephone and advised American's station manager that Douglas NC 25663 had crashed near St Thomas, Ontario, about 10:10 p.m. (See map opposite page 8).
Final stages of the flight are described in detail by the testimony of witnesses on the ground. A number of these witnesses residing near the scene of the accident saw the airplane descend and strike the ground.
Mr. Fred Bogart, who lives approximately one mile east of the scene of the accident, first saw the airplane when it passed over headed west. He said that he had been listening to a radio program which ended at 10:00 p.m. and that he was going to the barn when he looked up and saw the red and green lights of an airplane as it was proceeding west. The airplane appeared to him to be quite high and the engines sounded normal. Mr Bogart stated that he was familiar with the transports which operate back and forth between Buffalo and Detroit and considered this airplane to be one of them. According to his statement, a few minutes later while returning to the house, his attention was attracted by a loud noise. Upon looking up, he observed the airplane descending in right turns and while it was circling, it appeared to be "raising up and going down". Mr. Bogart estimated that the airplane made three or four circles before striking the ground. He, with five other persons who were in the house, got in his car and drove immediately to the scene of the accident. He said that although a drizzling rain was occurring at the time, he could see lights at least two miles away.
The Reverend Glen Taylor, who lives in the town of Lawrence Station, Ontario (approximately ½ mile west of the scene of the accident), saw the accident from in front of his house. His attention was first attracted by the noise of the airplane and it appeared to be directly overhead. He ran out to the road in front of his house where he could get a clearer vision and saw the airplane circling. He said the right wing of the airplane was down at an angle of about 45 degrees and that on the south side of the circle the airplane came quite low and then as it continued around to the north it gained altitude (demonstrating a roller coaster movement). During the last circle the airplane passed almost directly over Mr. Taylor at which time he said he could see the lights in the cabin. This circle was almost5--21156
- ↑ See map on opposite page.
