Douglas DC-6

At approximately 0329LT, the airplane crashed on takeoff from Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota. A number of the 62 persons (including 2 infants) aboard suffered serious injuries but there were no fatalities. Fire, which broke out a short time after all occupants were evacuated, consumed the aircraft. The aircraft took off normally and climbed to a height of about 100 feet. It then gradually nosed over and entered a descent which continued until it struck the ground. Sky conditions were clear; however, the prevailing visibility was about three miles in fog, and in localized areas around the airport it was reduced to lens than a mile by patches of denser fog. Takeoff was made on runway 22 and the climbout was a from a lighted, built-up section toward an open, unlighted area. The Board believes that the pilot while trying to remain contact in reduced visibility allowed the nose of the aircraft to drop when flaps were retracted because of inattention to flight instruments. The darkness and reduced visibility during climbout contributed to a sensory illusion which completely obscured the fact of descent from the pilot.

While in cruising altitude, the engine number four oversped. The engine was shut down and the propeller was feathered. A little later, the engine number two suffered severe vibrations and it was also decided to shut it down and to feather its propeller. Due to insufficient power, the aircraft started to descend with a rate of 500 feet per minute. The captain eventually decided to attempt an emergency landing on Ilha Grande. The airplane belly landed on a beach and came to rest. All 22 occupants were uninjured.

The crew was performing a local training flight out from Norrköping-Kungsängen Airport. In flight, the captain informed ATC that an engine caught fire and obtained the permission for an emergency landing. Following technical issues, the crew was unable to lower the undercarriage and a belly landing was carried out. The airplane slid for several yards and came to rest in flames. All five crew members escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Northeast Airlines Flight 8232 a DC-6A, N34954, was scheduled to originate at La Guardia Field, a nonstop to Miami, Florida, with a departure time of 1445. This aircraft and the same crew operating as Flight 822, had arrived at LaGuardia from Miami at 1250. The crew consisted of Captain Alva V. R. Marsh, First Officer Basil S. Dixwell, Flight Engineer Angelo V. Andon, and Stewardesses Doris Steele, Catherine Virchow, and Emily Gately. A short time before the scheduled departure time the crew and passengers boarded the aircraft. Snow, which had started at LaGuardia at 1202, began to accumulate on the aircraft's horizontal surfaces after its arrival at the LaGuardia ramp position. Snow removal by ground personnel, during preflight, was ineffective because of the continuing snowfall. Accordingly, about 1600 the aircraft was taxied, with all occupants aboard, to a nose hangar on the west side of the airport for snow removal. This was accomplished and at 1745 the crew advised LaGuardia ground control that they were ready to taxi from the nose hangar for the IFR, departure to Miami. Flight 823 was then cleared to runway 4 and was advised that the wind was northeast 10, the altimeter setting 30.12, and a time check of 1747-1/2. Air Route Traffic Control cleared the flight as follows. "Cleared to Bellemead, maintain 7,000 feet." A supplementary climb-out clearance was then given: "After takeoff, a left turn direct Paterson, direct Chatham, cross 081-degree radial of Caldwell 4,000 feet or above, cross Paterson between 5,000 and 6,000 feet and cross the northwest course of Idlewild not above 6,000 feet." Both clearances were repeated and acknowledged. Takeoff clearance was issued at 1800 and a tower controller saw the aircraft airborne at approximately 1801.2 The controller advised the flight to contact LaGuardia radar departure control on 120.4 mcs. This message was acknowledged but the radar controller did not receive a call from the flight; however, he did observe a target on the scope that indicated an aircraft over the runway. The next two sweeps on the scope disclosed the target beyond the end of the runway. A subsequent sweep indicated that the target was turning left. The target then disappeared from the scope. The LaGuardia tower controllers observed a large flash at approximately 1802 in the vicinity of Rikers Island, the approximate center of which is about one mile north of the point where the aircraft left the runway. It was learned at 1819, by telephone, that Northeast Airlines Flight 823 had crashed on Rikers Island. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire and 20 passengers were killed.

After liftoff from runway 26 at Paris-Orly Airport, the four engine aircraft encountered difficulties to gain height, hit successively two houses, stalled and crashed in a huge explosion about 600 meters past the runway end. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and debris were scattered for about 200 meters. A passenger was seriously injured while all 34 other occupants, among them the Italian Director Guido Cantelli, were killed.

The crew was performing a flight from RAF Lakenheath to McGuire AFB with an intermediate stop at Lajes, Azores Islands. At 2055LT, while cruising at an altitude of 15,000 feet, the crew informed ATC about his position and everything was ok. More than hour later, at 2210LT, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 590 km southwest of Land's End, Cornwall, UK. The crew was unable to send any distress call. Few debris such as life vests and the nose wheel were found. All 59 occupants have been killed. It was reported that some debris recovered showed traces of fire, leaving open several assumptions.

Flight 307 departed Vancouver, British Columbia at 1347 Bering standard time en route to Hong Kong, China, with a refueling stop at Cold Bay, Alaska and an intermediate stop at Tokyo, Japan, carrying a crew of 8 and 14 passengers. At 2011 the flight reported 100 miles out, estimating Cold Bay at 2036. It reported being over the Cold Bay range station outbound on a standard instrument approach at 2035, and at 2042 as completing a procedure turn and proceeding inbound. This was the last transmission from the flight. At 2045 the aircraft was observed to descend from the overcast north of the airport for a landing on runway 14 and cross the field at low altitude to the intersection of the two runways. At this point a shallow left turn was started and the aircraft went out of sight southeast of the airport. Shortly afterwards a fire was observed and it was ascertained that the aircraft had crashed. Eleven passengers and 4 crew members were fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.

The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from Saigon to Paris, France and had left Karachi for Cairo on 19 February at 1715 hours Greenwich Mean Time with 9 crew and 55 passengers aboard. The flight was routine until 0230 hours (20 February) when the aircraft reported to Cairo Air Traffic Control that it had passed Suez (60 miles east of Cairo) at 0224 at a flight level of 8 500 feet, flying VFR and was descending. At 0240 it reported the Cairo aerodrome in sight and being 15 miles out, was granted an authorization for a VFR approach and at the same time was given the QFE and QNH, 29.42 and 29.73 respectively. Contact was established with Cairo approach and the aircraft requested and received landing instructions oh 118.5 megacycles and was asked to call down wind. This message was acknowledged and was the last heard from the flight. Several attempts to contact the aircraft on all available frequencies were made but were unsuccessful. At 0450 hours the wreckage was sighted 18 miles southeast of the aerodrome. Only 6 crew members and 6 passengers survived.

After a routine radio ramp check, Flight 629 taxied to runway 08R (80 degrees, right) and at 1844 the flight was in runup position where it was given ATC clearance for the flight to Portland, the first intended landing. The clearance, in part, included compulsory radio reports from the flight upon passing the Denver Omni and when climbing through 18,000 feet to its assigned flight altitude, 21,000 feet. Following takeoff the flight reported its "off time" to the company as 1852 and thereafter reported passing the Denver Omni at 1856. The latter communication was the last from the flight. About 1903 the Denver tower controllers saw two white lights, one brighter than the other, appear in the sky north-northwest of the airport and fall to the ground. Both lights were observed 30-45 seconds and seemed to fall with approximately the same speed. There was then a momentary flash originating at or near the ground which illuminated the base of the clouds, approximately 10,000 feet above. When the controllers observed the lights they initiated action to determine if any aircraft were in distress. Radio calls were made to all aircraft in the Denver area of responsibility and all except flight 629 were accounted for. It was soon learned that the flight had crashed and all 44 occupants had been killed. It was later confirmed that the disintegration of the aircraft in the air was caused by a bomb. Two weeks later, on November 15, investigators confirmed that an explosive device has been placed on board by John Gilbert Graham aged 23 who signed a US$ 37,500 life-insurance for his mother who was on board. Convicted guilty for murder and terrorism, he was sentenced to death penalty and executed on January 11, 1956.

N37512, under the command of Captain S. C. Hoyt, UAL New York area flight manager, departed New York International Airport at 1428 on a Visual Flight Rules flight plan for an estimated two-hour flight in the vicinity of MacArthur Field, Islip. The aircraft was properly dispatched on a routine check flight, and Captains V. H. Webb and H. M. Dozier were aboard for the purpose of receiving their periodic instrument proficiency check. Upon completion of the checks, the flight was scheduled to return to LaGuardia Airport. At 1501 the flight reported to the company by radio that they were “doing air work around Hempstead.” Another message was received by the company at 1527 reporting that the flight was going to make an ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach at Islip (MacArthur Field). Shortly thereafter, the flight contacted the MacArthur tower, requesting approval for an ILS approach and landing. Permission was granted by the tower, and a normal landing was made on runway 32. The aircraft was taxied to the intersection of runways 28 and 32 and the crew prepared for takeoff. The 1532 MacArthur weather observation showed scattered clouds at 20,000 feet, broken clouds at 25,000; visibility over 15 miles; temperature 53; dew-point 30; wind NNW at 20 knots, gusts to 30 knots. When the flight departed New York International Airport, weather was approximately the same and the forecast for the New York area indicated that it would be similar over the area for the duration of the flight. At 1548, the MacArthur controller cleared the flight to take position on runway 32 and take off. The aircraft took position on the runway but did not immediately take off, hence a second takeoff clearance was transmitted at 1550. The gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff from MacArthur Field was approximately 61,050 pounds, which was well below the maximum allowable. The load was correctly distributed with respect to center of gravity limits. The aircraft became airborne approximately, 1,500 to 1,800 feet down the runway. The takeoff appeared normal, as did the initial portion of the climb, and the aircraft remained on the runway heading. When about 50 feet high, the right wing lowered and the aircraft started turning to the right, at which time the landing gear was retracting. The aircraft continued a climbing turn and the degree of bank increased to approximately vertical by the time the heading changed about 90 degrees and the aircraft had attained an estimated altitude of 150 feet. The nose dropped sharply and the aircraft dived into the ground, striking on the right wing and nose. It then cartwheeled and came to rest right side up. An intense fire started and consumed a large portion of the wreckage in spite of the prompt arrival of fire fighting equipment on the field.