COLLAPSE OF TEXAS TOWER NO. 4 147 



tliis motion, that there had been the brace trouble indicating it had 

 not been installed properly, we went back to the contractor. 



Senator Saltonstall. You did what ? 



Commander Fostek. We went back to the contractor and had him 

 repair it. 



Senator Saltonstall. But the Navy then owned the tower at that 

 time ? 



Comimander Foster. Yes, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. And the Navy had paid for the tower ? 



Commander Foster. Yes, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. So that the tower was completed and ac- 

 cepted for delivery in jSTovember of 1957, yet for a year and a half 

 afterward, it was not satisfactorily completed until May 1959. Dur- 

 ing that period, the Government owned it ? 



Commander Foster. The Government had accepted the tower, yes, 

 sir, but within a year after acceptance, we had discovered some defec- 

 tive workmanship, called a construction deficiency. On that basis, the 

 contractor was called back to repair it at his expense, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. Now, did the Navy at any time recertify that 

 as satisfactorily completed, or were these simply repairs after the job 

 had been accepted ? 



Commander Foster. After these repairs were made^ — and they went 

 further than repairs. It was, to a degree, a modification of the bolt- 

 ing. At that time, the brace was back substantially to its original 

 strength and was so certified. 



Senator Saltonstall. So that in November 1957 the tower was 

 accepted by the Navy as properly completed; then it began to get 

 into motion. You had these repairs made and the Navy again, in 

 May 1959, certified that the tower was safe, is that right ? 



Commander Foster. It was accepted in November of 1957 as being 

 complete and ready for use, accepted by the Navy and delivered to the 

 Air Force. 



However, the deficiencies subsequently discovered, we had the con- 

 tractor come back and repair. In other words, make good on some- 

 thing he should have done before November of 1957. 



Senator Saltonstall. Well, what I am trying to get at is what the 

 Navy did in May of 1959, when the Government owned it, and had 

 owned it for 18 months. Did the Navy again certify that the tower 

 was safe ? 



Commander Foster. Yes, sir. 



NAVT AGAIN CERTIFIES TOWER SAPE IN MAY 19 59 



Senator Saltonstall. So that in May 1959, you, as a representative 

 of the Navy, certified that the tower was safe ? 



Commander Foster. Yes, sir. 



Senator Saltonstall. And you say in your statement that the Navy 

 did not do any work on this tower after May 1959. Of course, as you 

 went out to Guam, you do not know that ? 



Commander Foster. That is true, sir. As far as I know, up until 

 the time I left Boston, we did no further work on Texas tower No. 4. 



Senator Saltonstall. And you left on July 1, 1959 ? 



Commander Foster. Yes. 



