Page:CAB Accident Report, TWA Flight 3 (June 1942).pdf/4

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Air Regulations, was taken on February 10, 1942.

It appears from the evidence that both Captain Hortman and First Officer Connick were physically qualified and held proper certificates of competency for the flight and equipment involved.

Aircraft NC 17320 was a Douglas, model DC-3, manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc., of Santa Monica, California, and purchased new by TWA in August 1937. It was powered with two Wright Cyclone G202A engines, and at the time of the accident had been flown a total of 13,152 hours. This model aircraft and its equipment had been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration for air carrier operation over routes flown by TWA with 21 passengers and a crew of four. The airplane had been certificated for operation with a standard weight of 24,400 pounds and a provisional weight of 25,200 pounds,^[1] without de-icer equipment. TWA's weight computation sheet indicated that at the time of the departure of Flight 3 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the weight of the airplane was 25,199 pounds. This consisted of: Passengers 2,550 pounds; cargo 2,272 pounds; airplane 17,803 pounds; buffet 234 pounds; and fuel 2,340 pounds. The airplane was properly loaded and the weight distributed in such a manner that the c.g. location was within the allowable limits. The aircraft and its equipment had received the overhauls, periodic inspections, and checks which are required by company practice and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

↑ The "standard weight" of an airplane is the maximum allowable weight for landing, while the "provisional weight" of an airplane is the maximum allowable weight for take-off. When an airplane takes off with a weight in excess of the designated standard weight, the weight of the airplane must be reduced by gasoline consumption, prior to arrival at its next scheduled stop, to the extent necessary to bring it within the standard weight for landing. If sufficient gasoline has not been consumed between time of take-off and any emergency landing, gasoline can be dumped by use of tested and approved dump valves in order to reduce the total weight to the approved weight for landing. At the time of the accident the weight of the airplane had been reduced since its departure from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its authorized standard weight.

[1] The "standard weight" of an airplane is the maximum allowable weight for landing, while the "provisional weight" of an airplane is the maximum allowable weight for take-off. When an airplane takes off with a weight in excess of the designated standard weight, the weight of the airplane must be reduced by gasoline consumption, prior to arrival at its next scheduled stop, to the extent necessary to bring it within the standard weight for landing. If sufficient gasoline has not been consumed between time of take-off and any emergency landing, gasoline can be dumped by use of tested and approved dump valves in order to reduce the total weight to the approved weight for landing. At the time of the accident the weight of the airplane had been reduced since its departure from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its authorized standard weight.

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