The weather conditions at Birmingham as reported by the U.S. Weather Bureau at 9:35 a.m. were: ceiling unlimited, visibility 1/2 mile with dense smoke; wind, east, 2 miles per hour. This report was given to the pilot by the carrier's station operator on the airport shortly after 9:35 a.m. At 5:48 a.m. a special weather report was issued by the United States Weather Bureau, stating that visibility was 1/4 mile, with dense smoke. The Weather Bureau stated that this report was given to the air carrier's field office by interphone, but it was not heard by the operator there. His failure to hear the message could be explained by the fact that the noise level in his office, which is small, is quite high due to the continuous operation of the weather teletype machine and three receivers of different frequency. Since the operator did not hear the message, he obviously could not have relayed the information to Trip 15. However, in this connection, it was found that the Eastern Air Lines operator at Birmingham, to whom the Weather Bureau also reported having sent the special broadcast, did not hear the message and that the Weather Bureau has no record of an acknowledgment from either Delta or Eastern of the special weather report.
Approach lights were not installed at the subject airport. There is every indication that the accident might have been averted if lights had been in use because the aircraft could then have readily lined up with the runway.
The aircraft was loaded within its authorized weight limit and within the limits of the location of the center of gravity.
As a result of this accident, the Administrator inaugurated an investigation of the ceiling and visibility limitations at Birmingham, which resulted in both being substantially increased. On March 26, 1941, all air carrier operations at Birmingham were suspended. On April 3, 1941, the suspension was modified to allow air carrier operation except between the hours of midnight and sunrise. During the latter part of April the control tower was completed and a complete new interphone system was installed. After this installation had been inspected and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, twenty-four-hour air carrier operation was resumed on May 2, 1941.
2. Lack of coordination between the Weather Bureau and ground personnel of Delta Airlines.
BY THE BOARD
/s/ Darwin Charles Brown
Secretary
