Executive/Corporate/Business

At King Salmon on the morning of July 10, 1957, about 0615, following two weeks in Alaska on a combined business and pleasure trip, Mr. C. R. Vose and party boarded N 45376 as its passengers. The flight crew of the executive Lodestar was Pilot Edward Coligny and Mechanic-Fight Engineer Ralph L. Hughes. The Vose party contemplated a flight to Anchorage, Alaska, the first segment of its return trip to Seattle, Washington. Earlier that morning Mr. Hughes had filed a VFR flight plan to Anchorage which proposed a departure time of 0630 and a routing to Anchorage over Airway Green 8 at an altitude of 6,000 feet. The flight plan also showed that the flight duration would be 1 hour and 40 minutes at a cruising speed of 170 knots and that there was sufficient fuel on board for 6 hours and 30 minutes. At 0638, following a period of engine rump on the parking ramp, the flight called the King Salmon tower for taxi and takeoff information. The duty controller cleared it to runway 11 and furnished the latest wind and altimeter conditions: “Wind east-northeast 8; altimeter 29.90.” There being no other traffic, N 45378 was cleared directly onto runway 11 where several persons saw it pause one to two minutes and heard its propellers run through one or two times. The takeoff was started at 0642 and it seemed entirely normal as the aircraft left the runway surface and climbed to between 75 and 100 feet. The landing gear, however, remained extended. The climb continued normally although somewhat steeper to between 150 and 200 feet, at which time the climb of the aircraft steepened rapidly but smoothly until it was nearly vertical. At the peak of the climb the aircraft pivoted counterclockwise, plunged to the group, and exploded. An intense fuel-fed fire followed. The airport traffic controller alerted the U. S. A. F. emergency equipment located on the base and the fire was quickly extinguished; however, not before the aircraft was nearly destroyed. All six occupants were killed.

N1245V departed Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 1850, December 20, 1956, on an IFR flight plan via airways V-35, V-6, V-168, V-30, and V-1 to New York International Airport. Jamaica, New York. The crow consisted of Captain Roy E. Rollo and Copilot Lewis Thomas Williams. Mr. Alden Roach, President of Columbia-Geneva Steel Company, was the only passenger. At the time of takeoff from Pittsburgh, the gross weight of the aircraft was 19,421 pounds (maximum allowable gross load 19,500 pounds) and the weight was properly distributed. The purpose of the flight was to transport Mr. Roach to New York International Airport. The flight reported to Pittsburgh Air Route Traffic Center at 1905 when it was over New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, altitude 7,000 feet. A revised routing clearance to New York International Airport was issued to the flight at 1906 by ARTC to proceed via airways V-35, V-6, V-168, and Blue 18, and to climb to and maintain 9,000 feet. 2 Accordingly, N1245V reported leaving 7,000 and 8,000 feet at 1907 and 1909, respectively. At 1921 the Civil Aeronautics Administration Communications Station at Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, received a call from the flight giving its position as over the Coalport intersection at 1916, estimating Philipsburg at 1930. Philipsburg radio then requested N1245V to change over to the frequency of the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and this message was acknowledged. This was the last radio contact with the flight. At 1928 Philipsburg radio received a telephone call, from a location 24 miles east of the Coalport intersection and approximately 12 miles south-southwest of the Philipsburg Airport, to the effect that an aircraft, later identified as N1245V, had crashed and was burning in a nearby mountainous wooded area. The Philipsburg 1928 weather sequence was: Ceiling measured 400 feet, overcast; visibility 2 miles; fog; temperature 40; dewpoint 40; wind calm; altimeter 30.04.

The purpose of this flight was to take six passengers, all Phillips' employees. from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Company Pilot Joe Mark Bower and company Copilot-Mechanic Robert Ellwood Ulrich were assigned to the flight by the Aviation Department of Phillips. When the aircraft was loaded and prior to leaving the ramp Copilot Ulrich called the company radio station, located on the airport, requested taxiing instructions, and asked for an IFR clearance to Salt Lake City, nonstop. The company radio operator obtained the desired clearance from ARTC through Tulsa, and immediately relayed it to the aircraft. A flight plan previously prepared contained the following information: Proposed time of departure 0805; estimated elapsed time 5 hours, 15 minutes; fuel on board 6 hours. Departure was at 0826. At that time the gross weight of the aircraft was 19,284 pounds (maximum allowable was 19.500 pounds), and the load was properly distributed with respect to allowable center of gravity limitations. About 14 minutes after takeoff, at approximately 0840, Copilot Ulrich called Bartlesville Radio and stated that the flight was having engine trouble, with an oil temperature over 100 degrees, and requested that the IFR flight plan be canceled as they might return. The Bartlesville operator complied and notified Tulsa. At the next contact, about 0845, the copilot again called Bartlesville Radio stating that they could not unfeather the propeller. At that time he asked the Bartlesville operator to determine the condition of the runways at Tulsa (about 40 miles to the south). This information was obtained and immediately relayed to the copilot, whereupon he said. "Going to Tulsa, changing over." Bartlesville's single 4,600-foot runway had patches of snow and ice while all runways at Tulsa Airport were clear. This was the last radio contact with the flight. None of the messages had mentioned which engine was giving trouble; none indicated any anxiety or stress. There is no known record of N 28366 having made radio contact with any ground station or aircraft other than Bartlesville Radio. About the same time as the last radio contact, the Bartlesville radio operator and Phillips' chief pilot saw the aircraft passing south of the Bartlesville Airport heading easterly. They estimated its altitude to be 3,000 feet above the ground. The aircraft continued east for about 4-1/2 miles, until beyond the more congested part of Bartlesville, and then turned to the right about 90 degrees toward Tulsa. A number of persons saw the flight after it turned toward Tulsa. When it had been on this southerly heading for about four miles the aircraft was seen to plunge to earth in a manner described by several witnesses as a spin. Impact with the rolling terrain was on a heading of about 240 degrees, while the wings were about level, and while the nose-down angle was close to vertical. An explosion and intense fire ensued, largely destroying the general structure of the aircraft.

Crashed in unknown circumstances at Rand Airport, Jo'burg. There were no injuries but the aircraft came to rest in a field and was damaged beyond repair.

Pilot Gordon Whewell Silva and Copilot-Flight Mechanic Lloyd Littleton Cotton, on December 28, prepared N 33366 (hereinafter referred to as N 366) for a nonstop flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After a study of the weather data Pilot Silva filed an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan which called for a proposed departure at 0800 c. s. t. for Pittsburgh via Victor Airways 14, 72, and 12, with an estimated elapsed time of tour hours. It also showed fuel for 6:15 hours, an en route altitude of 9,000 feet, destination Pittsburgh, and alternate Wheeling, West Virginia. The flight departed Tulsa at 1810 c. s. t. and routine position reports were made until over Dayton, Ohio, at 1200. Starting with the Dayton position report in which the first mention of icing conditions was made, all of the entries in CAA station logs recording communications with N 366 are transcribed as follows: "N366 over Dayton 1200E 9,000 feet estimate over Columbus 1218E Adamsville (will make next report from Adamsville.) Request lower altitude light to moderate rime icing." This message was delivered at 1203 to the Indianapolis center who replied, "ATC advises unable approve lower altitude." This reply was delivered to N 366 at 1204. At 1221 CAA Columbus recorded the following from N 366, "Over Columbus 1220, 9,000 m. s. l. estimate over Adamsville 33 HLG (will make next report via Wheeling). Destination Pittsburgh requesting 5,000 feet m. s. l." At 1224 the following was transmitted to N 366 by Columbus, "ATC unable to approve 5,000 feet m. s. l. or 7,000 feet m. s. l." At 1227 Columbus received from N 366, "Rime ice request lower altitude an soon as possible." And at 1234 N 366 advised Columbus, "Over Adamsville 1233 9,000 feet m. s. l. Adena 47." The pilot was questioned about the Adena estimate and changed it to "Wheeling" (as next reporting point). Also in this communication he reported, "Difficulty maintaining altitude and airspeed request lower altitude." At 1237 Columbus CAA transmitted, "Clearance to descend and maintain 8,000 m. s. l." and the pilot replied, "Leaving 9,000 m. s. l. at 1237E". All further attempts to communicate with N 366 were unsuccessful. At approximately 1240 witnesses observed the aircraft below the overcast; it was on a westerly heading and was descending although it appeared to be in a normal attitude. Several components were seen to separate from the aircraft before it struck the ground. Both occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from London Airport, the crew reported severe icing conditions. The captain elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in Crumlin, near the airfield. There were no casualties while the aircraft was written off.

The twin engine aircraft was completing a flight from Groton-New London Airport (CT) to White Plaines with a crew of two on board and one passenger, a daughter of the company's Executive Vice-President. At 1341LT, the flight reported to Westchester Tower that it was over the outer marker, inbound, at 2,500 feet. Approximately two minutes later it crashed between the outer and inner markers of the Westchester 115. The aircraft began clipping trees about 800 feet before it struck the ground on a 680-foot knoll located on the ILS approach path. Both crew members were killed. The passenger, who sustained only minor injuries, stayed with the aircraft until approximately 1630LT, then walked out and located help. She stated that she had flown quite a bit in this same airplane with the same crew and that the subject flight was the roughest she had ever encountered; that during the approach the weather was so “soupy” she could not see the numbers on the aircraft and that she heard the pilot say to the copilot, “Keep your eyes peeled.” Weather conditions, as reported by Westchester County Airport operations personnel, were: ceiling 300 feet and visibility 1 mile. The aircraft was owned and operated by Sangamo Electric Company, Springlfield, Illinois.

The aircraft took off from runway 01 of General Mitchell Fields Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at approximately 1708 for an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight to Winnipeg, Canada. Aboard were Pilot Joseph Laird, copilot Paul Laird, and two passengers, Frederick Miller Sr., President of the Miller Brewing Company, and his son, Fred Miller Jr. As N44M was passing over the northern boundary of the airport, after an apparently normal takeoff, the Mitchell Field Tower Controller received the message, "an engine on fire" and "making an emergency landing." The controller acknowledged this message and the pilot reported something about an engine sputtering. The aircraft which had started a turn to the left at this times was cleared to return to the airport and use air runway. The pilot then reported an engine feathered. As the controller turned up all runway lights to the highest intensity, personnel in the tower observed a mushrooming mass of flame just north of the field. The aircraft had crashed in a nose-down right-wing-low attitude in an open field approximately 3,200 feet north of the airport and west of a projected line of runway 01. Fire of large magnitude occurred after ground impact and continued for several hours before it was completely extinguished. All four occupants were killed.

During the engine startup, the left engine caught fire. All six occupants were able to evacuate the cabin before the airplane would be destroyed by fire. The aircraft was preparing for a flight from H3 Oil Station (Southwest) located about 450 km west of Baghdad to Beirut, Lebanon.

An engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. While both occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.