The Burbank Airport lies approximately five miles east of the southeast leg of the Newhall Range and 20 miles north of the east leg of the Los Angeles Range. The airport therefore is not served by a leg of the usual high-powered radio range. However, a localizer (a low-powered range station) is located on the Burbank Airport. This facility permits the pilot to approach on the regular radio range station bean and work has let-down on the localize.
Instrument approach Procedure
The instrument approach procedure used by American at Burbank when the top of the cloud deck does not exceed 3500 feet above sea level specifies that the pilot, upon reaching the Burbank localizer on tile initial approach, fly out the northwest leg 3 1/2 minutes at 120 m.p.h., make a procedure turn at 3500 feet on the south side of this leg and descend back toward the station on a course of 98 degree magnetic. American representatives testified that the landing gear should be lowered over the range station on the initial approach and that during the final approach an airspeed of 120 m.p.h. should be maintained. The night landing minimums for the Burbank airport specified a ceiling of 700 feet and two miles visibility.
Missed approach Procedure
If ground contact is not made upon passing over the localizer the pilot should immediately make a climbing right turn to magnetic course of 270 degree climb back to 3500 feet altitude and ask the company ground station for further instructions.
Burbank Field Rules
The Burbank airport is a right-hand field when used under instrument weather conditions. Frequently pilots desire to circle to the left in order that they may more easily keep the airport clearly in view from their position in the left seat and usually request permission for the left turn from the tower. However, inasmuch as clearance to land has been given, occasionally the pilot may fail to request such permission as the caption apparently did in this case.
The airplane was first seen to cross Burbank airport and then to make a left turn during which it disappeared from view. Soon after making the turn, possibly for the purpose of lining up with the North-South runway, the pilot radioed the control tower that he could not maintain contact and that he was proceeding to his alternate, Palmdale. It is believed that he attempted the standard "missed approach" procedure from this point. In referring to the attached sketch it can readily be seen that if the standard "missed approach" procedure were applied after making a left turn a correction would have to be made both for position and heading. It is evident that the pilot's failure to make those corrections resulted in his being carried into the foothills rather than away from them as intended by the standard "missed approach" procedure.
In the course of investigation a simulated flight was made by company personnel and representatives of the Civil Aeronautics Board. This flight was started from a position and heading believed to nave been that of
