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not consider safe to operate through. Notwithstanding this opinion on the part of one captain, another captain was permitted to proceed into the storm without even being told by Eastern's West Palm Beach ground station that severe storm conditions existed along his route.
All of this indicates that at least on this route of Eastern's, and on this occasion, after a pilot had once taken off from the originating point named in his formal clearance he received little subsequent assistance from ground personnel. The primary reasons for this condition apparently lay in the failure of the operations management of Eastern to provide an adequate dispatching system on Route 6, together with a sufficient number of trained dispatchers to keep in constant contact with flights in order to provide them with current and accurate flight information.
The dispatching of all Eastern's flights between New York and Miami is handled by a dispatcher stationed in New York. Eastern's currently effective certificate of convenience and necessity for the New York-Miami operation (designated as Route 6) authorizes it to engage in air transportation between the co-terminal points New York, New York, and Newark, New Jersey, and the intermediate points, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D. C.; Richmond, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Brunswick, Georgia; Jacksonville, Florida; Daytona Beach, Florida; Orlando, Florida; Vero Beach, Florida; and West Palm Beach, Florida, and the terminal point, Miami, Florida. The length of this route is approximately 1,250 miles. The dispatcher in New York in addition to handling all through north and south bound flights between New York, New York, and Miami, Florida, handles all flights between the terminal points and intermediate points on this route. The New York dispatcher also handles all north and south flights on Route 5 between New York, New York; Washington, D. C.; and Richmond, Virginia. The New York dispatcher has, during the 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. tour of duty, jurisdiction ever some 30 flights, apart from extra sections. Of these, eight or ten are sometimes in flight simultaneously.
Gerald S. Ritchie was the dispatcher on duty [1] at LaGuardia Field, New York, New York, on the morning of April 3, 1941. Mr. Ritchie issued a clearance at New York for Trip 14 to proceed from Miami to Jacksonville. This clearance which was transmitted via teletype to Miami[2] was based on current weather information available to him. The dispatcher "did not think it was necessary to talk to the captain" (by telephone) since he "did not think anything would occur except routine flight". Dispatcher Ritchie was relieved of duty at 8:00
- ↑ Dispatcher Ritchie stated it was his understanding that it was the duty of Eastern's dispatchers to "go over the weather forecast and consult the meteorologist; clear flights from originating points to destinations; and keep track of the flight en route by position reports; and plane dispatches from the station where it left, and in general assist the flight, that is the crew, any way we can, furnishing any information to them that we do not believe they would receive otherwise or would be of interest to them or to the safety of the flight".
- ↑ In clearing flights from cities other than New York, on Route 6 (New York-Miami) and that portion of Route 5 outlined above, the clearances are issued via teletype and no contact is made with the captain when the dispatcher is of the opinion that the flight will be routine. However, if conditions exist which, in the opinion of the dispatcher, seem to be doubtful, he may contact the pilot by telephone before issuing the clearance.
