Douglas DC-6

After takeoff by night from runway 24 at Shannon Airport, while climbing, the airplane turn to the left then banked left to an angle of 90° and eventually crashed inverted in the Shannon estuary, about two miles from the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 83 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to the night and mist.

Flight CKA779 was a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) contract flight. It originated at Everett-Paine AFB, WA (PAE), on July 20, 1961, and proceeded to Fairfield-Travis AFB, CA (SUU). At Travis AFB 25,999 pounds of cargo was loaded. The flight then departed Travis and flew non-stop to Anchorage, Alaska. At Anchorage, the crew received weather and NOTAM information for the flight to Shemya AFB, AK (SYA), which did not include the approach or field lighting deficiencies. The stop at Shemya was for the purpose of servicing the aircraft before proceeding to Tachikawa AB, Japan for refueling. The flight took off from Anchorage at 19:40 and proceeded routinely toward Shemya. The flight made contact with Shemya Radio at 00:45. It was flying at FL100 between layers of clouds. At 01:28 the crew reported 100 miles east of Shemya, estimating Shemya at 01:55. Shemya Radio cleared the flight inbound to Shemya Homer and to descend and maintain 5,500 feet. At 01:45, the flight contacted Shemya GCA and radar contact was made approximately 18 miles north-northeast of Shemya, at 5,500 feet. The GCA controller transmitted the following weather information: "Indefinite ceiling 200 feet; sky obscured, visibility one mile in fog; new altimeter 29.86." According to the GCA controller, the DC-6 intercepted the glide path for runway 10 properly and maintained a good course. When two miles from touchdown, it dropped approximately 10 to 25 feet below the glide path. At one mile out, the flight went an estimated 30 to 40 feet below the glide path, which was still well above the minimum safe altitude for the approach. When the flight, was over the approach lights, it started to descend rapidly. The aircraft struck an embankment, approx. 200 feet short of the threshold in a nearly level attitude, the nose wheel touching first, about 18 feet below the crest, very nearly aligned with the centerline of the runway. The aircraft slid up the embankment during impact and when it reached the crest, broke in two at the leading edge of the wings. The fuselage, wings, and tail section stopped and settled back on the slope. The powerplants, nose section, and the bulk of the cargo slid varying distances toward the runway and up on it for a distance of about 100 yards. Fire followed impact and the majority of the wreckage was consumed.

The four engine aircraft left Buenos Aires-Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport at 0731LT bound for Comodoro Rivadavia. While cruising at an altitude of 4,800 meters, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a low pressure area and severe turbulences. The airplane went out of control, entered a dive, partially disintegrated and eventually crashed in a field located 12 km west of Pardo. All 67 occupants were killed.

The crew was completing a local training mission at Shannon Airport. Following several touch-and-go maneuvers, the pilot performed a normal landing and prepared for takeoff again when one of the crew member inadvertently raised the undercarriage. The airplane sank on its belly and slid for several yards before coming to rest in flames on the left edge of the runway. All six crew members were evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed.

On September 19, 1960, at approximately 0602 local time, a Douglas DC-6AB, N 90779, operated by World Airways, Inc., as Military Air Transport Flight 830/18, bound for Wake Island and the United States. crashed and burned on Mt. Barrigada approximately two nautical miles from the departure end of runway 6L, Agana Naval Air Station, Guam, Mariana Islands. Of the 94 occupants on board, seven crew members and 73 passengers received fatal injuries; one crew member and 13 passengers survived. The flight received FAA Air Route Traffic Control route and departure clearances and took off into night VFR weather conditions. It made a right turn after takeoff and although making a-continuous climb over the distance flown. it struck Mt. Barrigada at a point approximately 300 feet above the elevation of the airport, and slid into the thick-underbrush cutting a Swath for nearly 1,1000 feet before it came to rest. Damage and injury were more attributable to fire than impact forces. The Board determines that this accident occurred because of the failure of the pilot to comply with published departure procedures applicable to runways 6 left and 6 right.

While in cruising altitude on a flight from Asunción to Buenos Aires, the airplane christened 'Mariano Moreno' suffered a major issue on engine number three. Shortly later, the airplane disintegrated in the air, dove into the ground and crashed in an open field located 12 km northeast of Salto. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 31 occupants were killed. Debris were scattered on more than five km.

The R4D-6 left Buenos Aires at 0825LT on a flight to Rio de Janeiro, carrying a delegation of musicians who would take part to a ceremony dedicated to the official visit in Rio de Janeiro of the US President Eisenhower. At 12:56 the crew reported over the BAGRE fix, entering the Rio Approach Control zone. The plane then descended to 1500 m reaching the Ilha Rasa (IH) NDB at 13:05. The crew were then instructed to arrive over the RJ NDB at 1800 m altitude and continue to the KX NDB descending to 1500 m. At the KX NDB the plane could enter the approach path for Galeao Airport. At 13:07 the flight reported passing over RJ at 1800 m, but the plane was in fact still approaching the NDB! False radio compass indications in the area are not uncommon; they are influenced by a steel cable car in the area. REAL DC-3 PP-AXD had left Campos at 12:10 for a flight to Rio de Janeiro. The flight reported at the Porto das Caixas fix at 12:58. at 1650 m. He was told to head for the RJ NDB at 1800 m and was later cleared for 1500 m to carry out the Victor Procedure for an approach to Santos Dumont Airport. The DC-3 overflew the RJ NDB at 13:06 at 1700 m. While carrying out the standard 180° turn to the left, the DC-3 was hit on its right side in an upward direction by the US Navy DC-6. The collision occurred at about 1600 m; the DC-3 crashed into the bay just southeast of Sugar Loaf Mountain; the DC-6 crashed into the bay just north of the mountain.

Flight 2511 departed New York International (Idlewild) Airport at 2334LT on January 5 on an IFR clearance scheduled as a nonstop flight to Miami, Florida. The flight proceeded routinely in accordance with its flight plan until shortly after passing Wilmington, North Carolina. At 0231 Flight 2511 contacted the company radio station at Wilmington while over Carolina Beach at 18,000 feet, and transmitted a routine progress report. Shortly after the completion of this radio contact a dynamite explosion occurred in the passenger cabin. Following this explosion the aircraft entered a wide descending right turn and crashed 1-1/2 miles north-west of Bolivia at 0238 some 16 miles west of its intended flight path. All 29 passengers and the crew of five were killed. It is believed that Julian Frank was the author of this act of sabotage after he contracted a life-insurance for one million US$. But this assumption was not confirmed as he was himself seating in the aircraft when the explosion occurred.
No reference is made in this report concerning the placing of the dynamite aboard the aircraft or of the person or persons responsible for its detonation. The malicious destruction of an aircraft is a Federal crime. After the Board's determination that such was involved, the criminal aspects of this accident were referred to the Department of Justice through its Federal Bureau of Investigation

Immediately after applying takeoff power, the crew of the DC-6 heard a loud noise and the takeoff was abandoned. A visual check before the plane stopped revealed that the no. 4 engine had separated from the wing. A fire erupted and spread after evacuation, destroying the aircraft. It appeared that the no. 4 propeller had failed and that the unbalanced loads on the engine mounts caused separation of the entire engine. All crew and passengers survived but six dogs the cargo hold died in the accident.

The aircraft was operating UAT scheduled service UT736 from Johannesburg to Paris. It took off from Salisbury Airport at 1252LT for Brazzaville and during takeoff from runway 24 entered rain. The aircraft climbed to about 50 feet and then began to lose airspeed and height. Although the captain was using full power, had 20" of flap extended and the undercarriage retracted, he was unable to prevent the aircraft sinking back on to the ground. Fire broke out immediately after impact. Of the 7 crew and 63 passengers on board, three passengers were killed.