Date & Time:
Feb 26, 1941 at 2350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC28394
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Newark – Washington DC – Charlotte – Atlanta – New Orleans
MSN:
3204
YOM:
1940
Flight number:
EA021
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
5
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
8
Captain / Total hours on type:
3268
Copilot / Total hours on type:
806
Circumstances:
On final approach to Atlanta-Candler Field at night, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog and rain falls. Too low on final, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in a pine forest located few km short of runway. Rescue teams arrived on the scene at 0630LT the following morning. Eight passengers seriously injured were evacuated to local hospitals while eight other occupants were killed, among them all three crew members.
Crew:
James A. Perry, pilot, †
Luther E. Thomas, pilot, †
Clarence Moore, steward. †
Passengers:
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker,
William D. Byron, † +11.
Crew:
James A. Perry, pilot, †
Luther E. Thomas, pilot, †
Clarence Moore, steward. †
Passengers:
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker,
William D. Byron, † +11.
Probable cause:
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 .
Final Report:
NC28394.pdf1.2 MB
