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To All Active ALPA Members  -10-  January 26, 1948

Special Board of Inquiry on Air Safety; Jerry Wood, ALPA's First Vice President and Captain on EAL, who is also well-versed on engineering and air safety problems; Bob Buck, a TWA Captain whose test-pilot and engineering background is well known; and a number of other air line pilots -- graduate engineers, who did much work on air safety projects. Every accident that happened in 1947 received the most careful and painstaking investigation. ALPA was active in Washington and at the factories where changes and modifications in air line equipment were accomplished.

Probably, the most complete investigation ever made of any accident was the UAL DC-6 Bryce Canyon accident. ALPA Headquarters' safety engineers and local council crash representatives moved in on this accident immediately after it happened and set up several committees, which were later combined into one ALPA DC-6 Safety Committee, headed by Bart Cox. In addition to everything else, Headquarters dispatched Cox to the scene of UAL DC-6 crash immediately. He has since been working continuously on the matter of obtaining and coordinated the recommendations of our special safety committees and general membership for safety changes and modifications of the DC-6. In other words seeing to it that the 67 ALPA safety recommendations for changes and modifications of the DC-6 to prevent fires are carried out. The Douglas Company has been most cooperative. Cox is still doing full-time duty in the employ of ALPA at the Douglas Plant, checking the recommended modifications.

When the PCA accident of June 13, 1947 occurred, ALAP followed its usual pattern and was on the job immediately. Shortly thereafter, President Truman established his Interim Committee on Air Safety and asked that a pilot serve on this committee. Bart Cox was appointed by Headquarters to handle this assignment and spent months in Washington promoting air safety. I have on my desk copies of 115 air safet recommendations, made by Bart Cox, member of the President's Special Board of Inquiry on Air Safety, which came from all over the Association. Cox was ably assisted by Jerry Wood and Bob Buck. Jerry Wood took his place a large part of the time when he was in the field or occupied elsewhere. Hald ALPA not been present during this effort, dirty politics and the usual double-talking air safety advocates would have done nothing, and in addition, the ATA would have managed to accomplish a number of powerful objectives against the best interests of the air line pilots. To detract from their own shortcomings, they point to such things as the grievance-settling machinery of the pilots and pilot's seniority, and attempt to inject drummed-up arguments about how our grievance-settling machinery and seniority adversely affect safety. Nothing could be more ridiculous nor more baseless. But, unless we had representation there continuously, the results would have been disastrous to the air line pilots.

ALPA appeared before President Truman's Air Policy Commission on December 2, 1947. ALPA's President was the only witness. Two previously scheduled appearances failed to materialize; one on September 22, because of insufficient time to prepare, and another on October 21, because of the AOA strike settlement conferences being in progress. Each witness who was scheduled to testify had to have brief in the Commission's hands ten days before he appeared. The presentations were limited strictly to one hour and were devoted largely to questions and answers. This hour was fast and rough; the Commission being made up of businessmen and hard-bitten lawyers. They were interested in nothing but the facts. 

Approximately half of ALPA's presentation was devoted to air safety. The highlight subjects covered were:

(1) A complete review, including statistical records, of air line crashes since the abolishment of the independent Air Safety Board up to the present time, and why this Board should be re-established.