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                                                              Mike Sitt

November 16, 1948

Mr. Robert W. Chrisp
Chief of Hearing & Reports Division
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 8 1948, pertaining to the air line accident involving Colonial Airlines Trip No. 3 of September 20, 1948, at Burlington Airport, Burlington, Vermont.

The hearing brought out the following facts:

That the runway length at Burlington is barely long enough (3600 feet) ; 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 a field and runway pattern of this type requires dependency on brakes during nearly all landing to the north; and

That although the runway may be long enough for a landing under good conditions and during daylight hours, it becomes hazardous as soon as 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