Minneapolis

While in cruising altitude on a night cargo flight from La Crosse to Minneapolis, the pilot lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in a field. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

While executing a non precision instrument approach to La Crosse Airport in marginal weather conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck tree trops and crashed 4,000 feet short of runway 13 threshold. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and there was no fire. All six occupants were seriously injured. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as poor with indefinite ceiling, 500 feet obscuration, visibility half a mile, light drizzle and fog.

The crew was performing a training mission from Minneapolis to Griffiss AFB when an engine failed in flight. All eight occupants decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a field located one mile southeast of Flushing, Michigan. Seven crew members were evacuated while the eight occupant died as his parachute failed to open.

Northwest Airlines' NC93037 departed from the Minneapolis- St Paul International Airport at 0946LT on a local flight. The purpose of the flight was a six-month instrument competency check of Captain John R. Galt under the supervision of Captain Ray Render, a company cheek pilot. Also on board and listed as official observers were William H Solomon, CAA air carrier agent, who was sitting on the jump seat between and immediately behind the pilots' seats, and CAA personnel from the Minneapolis Control Tower, E. Bergstrom, R. Olsen and B. Erickson, who were sitting in the main cabin. At the time of takeoff there were 800 gallons of fuel on board which resulted in a total aircraft weight of 32,943 pounds. This weight was within the allowable limit of 38,000 pounds and the aircraft was properly loaded. The weather was clear and visibility was unlimited. Following takeoff, two simulated US (Instrument landing system) approaches were made to the airport and at 1025LT the crew radioed the control tower that this phase of the check flight was completed. This was the last known contact with the flight. After departing the Minneapolis area, the aircraft was first seen near Center City, Minnesota, 43 miles northwest of Minneapolis. At this time it was making a steep left turn at an altitude estimated to he between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, and landing gear was down. At the completion of this turn a shallow climb was started. Throughout these maneuvers the engines sounded as if they were operating in a normal manner. The attention of the ground witness was then diverted for a few moments, and when he again saw the aircraft it was in a partially inverted position and starting a steep dive. After losing approximately 2,500 feet in the dive, an apparently normal recovery was made to a level flight attitude and the aircraft proceeded in a northeasterly direction. Shortly thereafter it was seen to make two or three pitching oscillations about its lateral axis. These maneuvers may he described as a series of steps made by the aircraft as it was being lowered abruptly, followed by a recovery to level flight. During each oscillation approximately 400 feet in altitude was lost and a noise was heard such as is usually associated with a surge of engine power. The aircraft continued on a northeast heading. Two miles south of Almelund, Minnesota, which is 14 miles northeast of Center City, the aircraft was seen to make a shallow right turn of approximately 270 degrees and once more to return to a level attitude heading in a northwesterly direction. Throughout the above-mentioned maneuvers, the aircraft was gradually losing altitude, and the right propeller was observed to be turning slowly during the latter part of the flight. Nearing Almelund and at an altitude of approximately 500 or 600 feet above the ground, a steep right turn was begun. Altitude was lost rapidly and after turning approximately 90 degrees, the aircraft's right wing struck the ground. All but one of the six occupants were killed at impact, the injured person died several days later without regaining consciousness. The aircraft was demolished.

The flight 2501, was scheduled to operate between the terminal points of New York, N. Y., and Seattle, Wash, via intermediate points of Minneapolis, Minn., and Spokane, Wash. At approximately 1931 the flight departed from LaGuardia Airport for Minneapolis with a crew consisting of Robert C. Lind, captain, Verne F. Wolfe, first officer, and Bonnie A. Feldman, stewardess. On board were 55 passengers, 2, 500 gallons of fuel, 80 gallons of oil, and 490 pounds of express, which resulted in an aircraft weight of 71, 342 pounds for takeoff. This was 58 pounds below the maximum permissible takeoff weight, and the load was distributed so that the center of gravity was within approved limits. The flight plan filed with ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) specified a cruising altitude of 6 000 feet to Minneapolis. An altitude of 4,000 feet had been originally requested because of forecast en route thunderstorms, but denied by ARTC because other traffic was assigned at that level. At 2149, when over Cleveland, Ohio, a cruising altitude of 4,000 feet was again requested by the flight and this time approved by ARTC. Forty minutes later the flight was requested by ARTC to descend to 3, 500 feet because there was an eastbound flight at 5,000 feet over Lake Michigan which was experiencing severe turbulence and difficulty in maintaining its assigned altitude. ARTC estimated that the two flights would pass each other in the vicinity of Battle Creek, Mich., and that the standard separation of 1,000 feet would not be sufficient because of the turbulence. At 2251, Flight 2501 reported that it was over Battle Creek at 3,500 feet, and that it would be over Milwaukee at 2337. When in the vicinity of Benton Harbor, at 2313, the flight requested a cruising altitude of 2,500 feet, however, no reason was given for the request. ARTC was unable to approve this altitude because of other traffic. Acknowledgement that ARTC could not approve descent to 2,500 feet was received at 2315, and this was the last communication received from the flight. At 2337, Northwest Radio at Milwaukee advised the company at LaGuardia and Minneapolis, and ARTC at Chicago, that the flight was ten minutes overdue since they had incorrectly copied the 2251 flight report as 2327. At 2345 Northwest Radio at Milwaukee transmitted to the flight instructions to circle the range station at Madison, Wis., if its radio transmitter was inoperative. During the same period, all CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration) radio stations in the Chicago-Minneapolis area tried to contact the flight on all frequencies. At 2358, Chicago ARTC, at the request of Northwest Airlines, alerted air-sea rescue facilities in the area, which included the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and the state police of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The missing aircraft was assumed to have been involved in an accident at 0530 since the fuel supply at that time would have been exhausted. An intensive search of the Lake Michigan area was commenced at daylight June 24. On the following day, at 1830, the United States Coast Guard cutter Woodbine found an oil slick, aircraft debris, and the aircraft log book in Lake Michigan approximately 18 miles north-northwest of Benton Harbor. At 0530, June 25, underwater search operations were conducted with divers and sonar equipment. Divers descended at the points where strong sonar contacts were made. At those locations, the lake bottom was 150 feet below the surface of the water and was covered by a layer of silt and mud estimated to be 30 to 40 feet deep. Visibility was less than eight inches. The possibility of locating anything was slight, and movement was severely restricted. In addition to diving operations, the entire area was dragged with grapnel but without results. After two days of operation, the Navy suspended their search because of the difficult conditions, and because nothing had been found which would indicate that the aircraft could be recovered. Since then, the Coast Guard and aircraft flying in that area have maintained a sea and air surveillance. The only parts of the aircraft that were recovered were those with sufficient buoyancy to float a fuel tank float, foam rubber cushions, arm rests, clothing, blankets, pillows, pieces of luggage, cabin lining, plywood flooring and other wooden parts. The cushions and arm rests, shredded from impact forces and cutting edges of the fuselage, indicated that the aircraft struck the water at high speed. A plywood oxygen bottle support bracket, which had been installed in the forward left side of the fuselage, showed that the inertia forces acted in a forward, downward, and to the left direction. There was no sign of fire found on any parts recovered. All 58 occupants have been killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-St Paul-Wold-Chamberlain Field Airport, while climbing in poor weather conditions, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing for unknown reason. The aircraft crash landed in a field and came to rest with the left engine on fire. All 31 occupants were able to vacate the cabin and there were no injuries. The aircraft christened 'The Haylift Express' was damaged beyond repair. All passengers were members of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) of the University of Minnesota.

The aircraft departed Washington DC at 1230LT destined for Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, with intermediate stops in Detroit, Rochester, Madison and Minneapolis. With the exception of an hour and 23 minute delay at Detroit, required for the replacement of a ring seal in the hydraulic system, the flight proceeded in air routine manner to Madison, Wisconsin After arrival at Madison the aircraft was serviced with 1,010 gallons of fuel and 38 gallons of oil. Also on board were 10 passengers and 1,799 pounds of cargo which resulted in an aircraft weight of 36,842 pounds. This weight was well within the allowable limit of 39,100 pounds, and so far as is known, the aircraft was properly loaded. Weather information available to the flight prior to its departure from Madison showed that Rochester, 75 miles south southeast of Minneapolis, was reporting a ceiling of 700 feet with visibility of five miles, and that Minneapolis was reporting a ceiling of 900 feet with visibility of 1/2 mile 3. In addition, there was fog and blowing snow at these stations. Turbulence was expected in the clouds, and icing above the freezing level of 8,000 feet. The trip was planned to Minneapolis at an altitude of 4 000 feet, the schedule stop at Rochester being made contingent upon weather conditions at the time of the flight’s arrival. Madison, Wis., and Jamestown, N. Dak where weather conditions were well above landing minimums, were designated as alternate airports. Flight 307 arrived over Rochester at 2023, and because there was light freezing rain, did not land. Twelve minutes later the flight made a routine report to company radio that it was over Stanton which is a radio beacon 30 miles south of the Twin Cities Airport at Minneapolis, and at 2041 contacted Minneapolis Approach Control for landing clearance. The tower advised Flight 307 of existing, weather conditions. There was a precipitation ceiling of 900 feet, visibility was variable 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile, and the wind was from the north 27 miles per hour with gusts up to 40 miles per hour. The tower informed the flight that there had been two electric power failures at the field, and that if no further communication were received from the tower, it would be in all probability the result of another power failure The flight was also told that the ILS was serviceable, but that it had not been flight checked. As Flight 307 approached, another NWA flight, a Boeing 377, was standing at the approach end of the instrument runway, Runway 35, checking engines prior to flight Takeoff clearance was given to the Boeing 377. When it had proceeded half-way down the runway, Flight 307 reported that it was over the outer marker, which was 4.7 miles south of the approach end of the runway. The high intensity runway lights were increased in intensity, their coning device was set to 1/2 mile, the prevailing visibility at the time, and Flight 307 was cleared to land. Flight 307 was not seen from the tower during its approach, but it was heard to pass overhead at which time the controllers received the call, “I have got to get in Clearance was again given to land, following which the flight advised that it would climb to 2,400 feet on the northwest course of the Minneapolis radio range. After a pause, the flight transmitted. “We are going in-we are going in.” After the aircraft had flown over the field, it was observed flying straight and level 3.8 miles northwest of the airport. A wing was seen to fall. Then, the aircraft was observed to dive almost vertically from an altitude of about 300 feet, and crash into a residence in the city of Minneapolis Fire which started immediately after the crash consumed the house and much of the aircraft wreckage. All of the 13 occupants of the aircraft and two of the occupants of the house were killed.

Northwest Airlines' Flight 421 departed from Chicago for Minneapolis at 1550, August 29, 1948. On board were 33 passengers, four crew members, 800 gallons of fuel, and 1,038 pounds of baggage. Total aircraft weight was 38,015 pounds which was within the certificated limit and it was properly loaded in reference to the center of gravity. Weather information available to the flight prior to departure indicated that relatively good flying conditions existed en route with the exception of scattered rain showers and thunderstorms which were in the vicinity of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Rochester, Minnesota. Routine position reports were received from the flight as it progressed on course at Its flight plan altitude of 8,000 feet. At 1655, one hour and five minutes after takeoff from Chicago, the flight reported over La Crosse, 125 miles southeast of Minneapolis, and was at that time cleared to start an en route descent. Four minutes later, at 1659, the flight reported passing through the 7,000-foot altitude level. No indication of any trouble was contained in this transmission. This was the last word beard from the flight. Between 1645 and 1700 several persons in the vicinity of Winona, Minnesota, approximately 95 miles southeast of Minneapolis were watching a thunderstorm which was approaching from the northwest, AS the storm moved over Winona, the wind increased in intensity and considerable lightning and thunder were observed. At this time, about 1705, Flight 421 was seen flying below the overcast. As it passed over Winona, the aircraft appeared to enter the roll cloud or the leading edge of the thunderstorm at which time it was lost from view. Seconds later parts of the airplane were observed falling. It was later found that the flight had crashed approximately 4 miles northwest of Winona on a bluff on the east side of the Mississippi River. All 37 occupants were killed.

On final approach to Chicago-Midway Airport, the four engine aircraft was too low and hit a concrete marker. After impact, the aircraft nosed down and crashed in flames few hundred yards short of runway. All 41 occupants were quickly evacuated while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Enroute from Wright Patterson AFB to Minneapolis-Wold-Chamberlain Airport, the crew noticed that the manifold pressure dropped and was unable to resolve the problem. In such situation, the captain decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing in a field. Unfortunately, the aircraft attitude was wrong and its speed was too high. The aircraft hit the ground, bounced, hit trees and eventually crash landed. Both pilots and two passengers were injured while six others were killed.