Page:Aviation Accident Report, United Air Lines Flight 4.pdf/6

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location was within the allowable limits. Trip 4 proceeded without incident to the vicinity of Wendover, Utah, arriving over that point at 9:49 p.m. At this time the trip estimated its arrival over Salt Lake at 10:18. The trip radioed that it was changing to contact flight rules at 10:02 p.m. At 10:15 p.m., after finding it impossible to make an approach under contact flight rule, Trip 4 advised that it was climbing to 12,000 feet,[1] westbound the west leg of the Salt Lake Radio Range, pursuant to instructions given by Airway Traffic Control. At 10:22 the trip reported that it was at 12,000 feet and estimated arrival over Salt Lake at 10:34. At 10:26, Trip 4 was cleared to the Salt Lake Range Station, number two to approach, with the option of holding at 12,000 feet on the west leg of the Salt Lake range or proceeding to Ogden, about 30 miles north of Salt Lake City, and following United's westbound Trip 17 in. Captain Brown elected to proceed to Ogden. This resulted in a variance from standard instrument procedure for trips approaching from the west in that ordinarily such trips proceed north only to the Leyton Fan marker, about 18 miles north of the Salt Lake Range Station, before turning south for the final approach.

At 10:32 p.m., Trip 4 reported over the Salt Lake Range Station at 12,000 feet, and at 10:47 p.m. the trip reported over the Ogden Range Station at 10,000 feet. Trip 4 received its clearance to the Tower, number one to approach, at 10:50, and 10:51 reported over the Layton marker at 8,000 feet. At 10:56, the trip reported that was contact at 6,000 feet about 10 miles north of the field, and changed over


  1. All altitudes mentioned herein above sea level unless otherwise indicated.