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The [[logo]] Sun
Copyright, 1941, by The New York Sun, Inc.
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NEW YORK, FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 1941.
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TELLS HOW STORM TOSSED HIS PLANE
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Pilot Describes Experiences at CAB Inquiry.
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Miami, April 11(A. P.).—An account of what a thunderstorm can do to a transport plane was given today to a Civil Aeronautics Board committee investigating the crash landing of an Eastern Airliner near Vero beach last week.

Charles [[strikethrough]] L. [[/strikethrough]] WM. Meyers, the witness, piloted another Eastern Airliner plane which left before the wrecked liner took off. He ran into the squall that forced down the sister ship, and flew almost to Tampa before escaping and returning to West Palm Beach.

When he saw the storm shortly after taking off, Mr. Meyers said, he turned west in an effort to get around it. "All of a sudden hell broke loose," he continued.

"We were slammed up on one ear," he said. "I told the co-pilot to drop the landing gear. Then we slammed onto the other ear.

"It was my intention as soon as possible to get out of there. Then the hail hit us. The first bounce we took pushed us up to 2,000 feet from 1,500; all this time the hail sounded like a machine gun.

"In attempting to turn—we were part way around—the plane suddenly slowed. It turned 180 degrees while traveling just about its own length. I didn't have anything to do with it. In fact I was trying to prevent it.

"I told the co-pilot to get on the controls with me. It takes two men to handle these big ships in a thing like that. Then we started a fast descent. We were forced down from 2,000 to 500 feet...We cleared out somewhere near Avon Park."

The committee planned to hear today from passengers aboard the downed ship.