COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 13 



Mr. Chaeyk. The Air Force contracted directly with, the same 

 architect-engineering firm and with the same construction firm to 

 effect the repairs. 



Senator Saltonstall. Well in one place in your statement, do you 

 not say that you turned to the Navy, and that the Navy called in 

 the contractor ? 



Mr. Chaeyk, That was originally, Senator, when the motion that 

 was experienced after the completion of the construction suggested 

 that certain deficiencies might exist. And since the Navy had been the 

 vagency responsible for the construction, we contacted the Navy with 

 a view to requesting an underwater inspection to in fact ascertain 

 whether certain deficiencies existed. When the underwater inspection 

 was conducted, it did, in fact, confirm that certain deficiencies existed, 

 and the Navy then took action to effect an elimination of these 

 deficiencies. 



Senator Saltonstall. Now, whose responsibility was it — the Navy 

 or the Air Force — to determine whether this tower was safe or not ? 



SAFETY OF TOWER WAS RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NAVY 



Mr. Charyk. The Navy, as the construction agency for the Air 

 Force, had the responsibility for acceptance of the original design and 

 construction. 



Senator Saltonstall. And then subsequent to that time, the Air 

 Force took full responsibility. Did the Air Force have the responsi- 

 hility for determining that it was safe after the Navy turned it over 

 to the Air Force? 



SAFETY OF TOWER AN AIR FORCE RESPONSIBILITY AFTER ACCEPTANCE 



FROM NAVY 



Mr. Charyk. The Air Force had the responsibility for the subse- 

 quent maintenance. 



Senator Saltonstall. Do you consider these breaks a matter of 

 maintenance rather than original deficiencies ? 



Mr. Charyk. We treated them as necessary repairs. Whether these 

 difficulties were related to original design deficiencies is very difficult 

 to say. But we treated them as maintenance problems. 



Senator Saltonstall. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is all at 

 this time. 



Senator Stennis. Thank you, Senator Saltonstall. 



Senator Symington ? 



Senator Symington. Mr. Secretary, as usual your statement is very 

 clear. I would like to ask one or two questions here. 



I did not understand about the participation of the Navy in this 

 matter. On page 2 you say, "The Navy agreed to act for the Air 

 Force as its design and construction agency." You do not say at 

 any point that the Air Force, in any form of formal or informal 

 action, takes responsibility for the tower ? 



Mr. Charyk. The final acceptance by the Air Force was in Novem- 

 ber of 1957. 



Senator Symington. Plow did you accept it? 



Mr. Charyk. The acceptance was after the elimination of certain 

 deficiencies within the platform itself. The Air Force was not in- 



