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in command of Trip 10, after encountering "severe turbulence" requested his co-pilot, Mr. Toth, to transmit a message "to any station that he (you) could pick up, advising that Trip 14 be held, not go get into this, it is too tough."[1] The copilot, in carrying out Captain Meyers' request, first called Orlando but to no avail. He stated that "he then called West Palm Beach and Miami, and Miami answered." Copilot Toth further stated, "I told Miami to hold 14 at West Palm Beach as conditions were then such we did not want him (Trip 14) to get into that mess until we could advise him as to the exact nature of the storm." The Miami radio log indicates that the message was not received in its entirety at Miami but the West Palm Beach radio log contains the following message:
"10 TO WZ (West Palm Beach)—TELL 14 TO HOLD AT WZ (West Palm Beach) AS WE ARE RUNNING INTO INST WX (instrument weather) WITH HEAVY TURBULENCE."
The transportation agent at West Palm Beach immediately acknowledged receipt of the above-quoted message from Trip 10, advising that Trip 14 had already left West Palm Beach and was flying to Daytona Beach. The West Palm Beach radio log contains the following message from Trip 10 to West Palm Beach:
"10 TO WZ (West Palm Beach) OK. TELL 14 TO STAY OUT UNTIL WE ARE CLEAR.
The transportation agent at West Palm Beach testified that he contacted Trip 14 at 8:35 A.M. and delivered the following message:
"WEST PALM BEACH TO 14. TRIP 10 SAYS HE IS ON INSTRUMENTS WANTS YOU TO STAND BY UNTIL HE IS IN CLEAR."
This communication was acknowledged by Trip 14 with the following message:
"OK 14". "14 WILL CIRCLE ABOUT 15 (miles) N (north of) WZ (West Palm Beach) UNTIL 10 (is) IN CLEAR NOTIFY US WHEN 10 IS CLEAR."
Complying with this stated intent, Captain O'Brien of Trip 14 then circled for about ten minutes in the vicinity of Stuart, Florida, approximately 35 miles north-northwest of Palm Beach, Florida, at an altitude of 3000 feet.[2] The Melbourne, Florida, radio range was tuned in by the captain so that he could receive the benefit of any weather information that might be broadcast. The captain stated that the reception was good, but that he did not receive the 8:35 A.M. weather sequence broadcast.[3] The weather sequence reports were broadcast at 8:43 A.M. Captain O'Brien either was not tuned to the radio range frequency or had greatly reduced the volume while the reports were being broadcast because, according to his statement, he was in communication with West Palm Beach at 8:43 A.M.
Captain O'Brien stated that about 8:43 while circling in the vicinity of Stuart, Florida, he called West Palm Beach by radio and asked about Trip 10 and was told that Trip 10 had passed north of Vero Beach about ten minutes ago. He then assumed that Trip 10
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- ↑ For a detailed account of Captain Meyers' experience which prompted this message see Page 9.
- ↑ See map opposite page 8.
- ↑ The 8:35 A.M. weather sequence reports for Miami, West Palm Beach, Vero Beach, Melbourne, Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville, Florida, were broadcast by the Melbourne, Florida, Civil Aeronautics Communications Station at 8:43 A.M.
