Chattanooga

Prior to departing, the pilot looked at the fuel quantity indicators, and believed that approximately 3 hours of fuel was available for the estimated 1 hour 20 minute flight. Upon reaching the cruise portion of the flight, the pilot realized that an insufficient quantity of fuel remained in order to complete the planned flight, and he elected to divert to a closer airport. While on final approach to the diversionary airport, both engines lost power, and the pilot made a forced landing to a parking lot. When asked about the performance and handling of the airplane during the flight, the pilot stated, "the airplane performed the way it was suppose to when it ran out of fuel."

The crew departed Chattanooga-Lovell Field on a training flight to Pensacola-Forrest Sherman Field NAS, Florida. About 20 minutes into the flight, while cruising at low altitude, the aircraft contacted a tree and crashed a mile further on the slope of Mt Johns, near Villanow, Georgia. All four occupants were killed.

The aircraft landed in a crosswind on a snow and ice covered runway. During landing, directional control was lost and the aircraft collided with a snowbank. The pilot stated he attempted to use propeller reversing for braking and the aircraft started to slide to the left. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

En route from Chattanooga to Birmingham, while in cruising altitude, the twin engine entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

On final approach to Nashville-Metropolitan Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low. The twin engine airplane struck power cables and crashed short of runway. All five occupants were killed.

On final approach to Muscle Shoals Airport, the airplane lost speed, stalled and crashed short of runway. All six occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

While on a night approach to Tullahoma Airport, the left engine caught fire. The crew was able to extinguish the fire and the propeller was feathered. Unfortunately, the pilot missed the runway and the captain decided to initiate a go-around manoeuvre when the airplane stalled and crashed. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

As the aircraft became airborne the landing gear was retracted. Light rain was encountered at this time. When the air-craft had climbed to 200 to 250 feet, power was reduced to 35 inches of manifold pressure and a shallow right turn was begun. Before a reduction in r.p.m. was made the aircraft began to settle and the airspeed was observed to decrease rapidly from above 105 to 80 knots. The nose was immediately lowered to level flight, & the turn stopped, and full power applied. When this was done, the air-speed returned to about 100 knots and the settling appeared to lessen considerably. The increased airspeed with the attendant better flying characteristics was monetary, however, as the airspeed abruptly dropped to 60 knots and the airplane again began to settle. As the aircraft continued to settle and it became obvious that it was going to strike the ground, the first officer attempted to raise tile nose. Upon feeling the aircraft strike the ground, both throttles were closed. The aircraft then skidded to a stop in a wooded area approximately 600 feet north-west of the far end of runway 21. The airplane was destroyed and both pilots were injured.

While descending to Chattanooga Airport by night, the seaplane hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Signal Mountain, north of Chattanooga. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ens Roger W. Whale,
Amm1 Kristian F. Anderson.

Flight southbound from Chicago to Atlanta. The pilot Robert Chew was slightly injured. Original load of mail 126 pounds. 60 pounds salvaged in charred condition and forwarded by train the same day from Scottsboro. No data as to any markings applied to salvaged mail. While cruising about at 3,000 feet with zero visibility in a thick fog in the mountainous sections of Tennessee and northern Alabama, the pilot Chew was forced to take to his parachute when his motor went dead from lack of fuel. Chew made a successful leap, landing in a pasture, the plane crashing about 100 yards away, bursting into flames as it struck the ground. Chew is a veteran pilot, having flown every mail route of Eastern Air since he entered the company's service in 1931. He has 5,700 hours of flying to his credit. Since the line inaugurated its mail service in 1928, only 980 pounds of mail has been lost out of 4,277,588 pounds carried.