Douglas DC-3

Upon the basis of the foregoing findings and of the entire record available, investigators find that the probable cause of the accident was loss of control of the airplane while being operated on instruments and while encountering severe turbulence in a line squall, the existence of which the carrier's ground personnel had failed to make known to the captain.
The following contributing factors were identified:
1. Failure of carrier to provide an adequate dispatching system with a number of trained dispatchers on Route 6 to keep in constant contact with flights in order to provide them with current and accurate flight information.
2. Failure of carrier's West Palm Beach ground station to transmit to Trip 14 the full text of the message received from Trip 10 at 8:32 A.M.
3. Failure of carrier's meteorologist to make a more thorough analysis of weather conditions and issue a supplementary forecast to that originally issued for the operation of trip 14.
4. Although as we have previously stated it is impossible to reach a definite conclusion as to the degree of severity of the problem presented to the pilot it appears very possible that the handicap of the captain's limited experience in flying transport aircraft under conditions of severe turbulence was a factor contributing to the occurrence of the accident.

On the basis of the foregoing findings and the entire record available, the commission find that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the captain in charge of the flight to exercise the proper degree of dare by not checking his altimeters to determine whether both were correctly set and properly functioning before commencing his landing approach. A substantial contributing factor was the absence of an established uniform cockpit procedure on Eastern Air Lines by which both the captain and pilot are required to make a complete check of the controls and instruments during landing operations .

Upon the basis of the foregoing findings and the entire record available to the investigators at this time, they find that the probable cause of the accident was the action of the pilot in attempting a landing under adverse weather conditions in disregard of the minimums prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration and in maneuvering for such landing at a dangerously low altitude.

Upon the basis of the foregoing findings of fact and upon all the evidence available at this time, investigators find that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the pilot to exercise that degree of caution and skill required to avert a stall while approaching for a landing on the short northwest runway. A substantial contributing factor to the accident was the error in judgment of captain in choosing that short runway for his landing.

On the basis of the foregoing findings of fact and upon all of the evidence available at this time, investigators find that the probable cause of the accident was the malfunctioning of the Salt Lake radio range and that substantial contributing factors to the accident were:
- The failure of the communications operators at Tintic, Plymouth, and Salt Lake City, Utah, whose duty it was to monitor the range, to detect its malfunctioning and immediately notify those concerned; and
- The failure of the pilot to follow to the fullest extent established radio range technique in accordance with the requirements of the procedure established by United and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

Upon the basis of the foregoing findings of probable fact and the exit record in this investigation, CAB finds that the probable cause of the accident was the disabling of the pilots by a severe lightning discharge in the immediate neighborhood of the airplane, with resulting loss of control.

According to officials, the accident was caused by a navigational error on the part of the crew, widely favored by poor weather conditions and the lack of sufficient visibility.