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AFFILIATED WITH THE
A. F. of L.

cc: B. T. [[D?]]. 
 
"SCHEDULE WITH SAFETY"
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL
3145 WEST SIXTY-THIRD STREET
Chicago 29

TELEPHONE 
GROVEHILL 2200 

537

November 6th. 1948


Mr. Robert W. Chrisp
Chief of Hearing & Reports Div.
Civil Aeronautics Board
Washington 25, D. C.

Dear Mr. Chrisp: 
 On behalf of the Air Line Pilots Association International I would like to summarize the facts and data gleaned at the hearing at Oakledge Manor Burlington, Vermont October 8th. 1948 pretaining to the Airline accident involving Colonial Airlines trip number three of Sept. 20th. 1948 at Burlington Airport, Burlington, Vermont. 

The hearing brought out the following facts:
That the runway length at Burlington is barely long enough (thirty-six hundred feet); and
That there is a normal tendency to land deep down the runway when landing to the North; and
That the entire runway is not available for landing when making a landing to the North; and 
That the normal point of touchdown is approximately one thousand feet up the runway; and
That although the runway may be long enough for a landing under good conditions and during daylight hours it becomes hazardous as soon weather or nightfall enters into the picture; and
That the terrain to the South of the North-South runway creates a normal tendency to approach rather high; and
That there was an unusual amount of rainfall at Burlington Airport just prior to the time of the accident; and
That during the period of greatest rainfall, there was a percipitation of four hunredths of an inch between 11.22 A.M. and 11.34 A.M. E.S.T.
The time of the accident was 11.43 A.M. E.S.T.
That the runway had been resurfaced with some sort of sealing material apparently a petroleum product.
That the runway traction and braking action as a result of the heavy rain, pools of water, and resurfacing material, was of unknown quantity.
That the control tower has no way of knowing of any changes in the physical aspects of the field or runways as they may occur at any time