Positioning

On approach to Varna in poor visibility (clouds down to 160 metres) when deviated from the approach pattern and crashed into a hill (300-350 metres). All six crew killed.

Five minutes after takeoff from Calabozo Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames. It was destroyed upon impact and all three crew members were killed. They were conducting a positioning flight to Bruzual.

The crew was performing a positioning flight from Liverpool-Speke Airport to Glasgow-Renfrew Airport to embark passengers for Lourdes, France. On approach, the airplane was too low and struck the Greenside Hill located near Largs. The airplane was destroyed upon impact and both captain and the stewardess were seriously injured while the copilot was killed.
Crew:
Geoffrey Moss, pilot,
Noel C. A. Stanley, copilot, †
Hilda Phillips, stewardess.

The crew was completing a positioning flight from Douglas, Isle of Man, to Düsseldorf to pick up passengers. While descending to Lohausen Airport, the crew received the permission to perform an ILS approach but for unknown reason, the captain preferred to make a visual approach despite the low visibility caused by marginal weather conditions. On final, the airplane was too low, hit trees and crashed 5 km short of runway. All three crew members were killed.

While completing an ILS approach to Vitória-Goiabeiras Airport, the airplane struck a hill located three km short of runway. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.

On final approach to Hong Kong-Kai Tak Airport, the crew encountered winds and downdrafts. On the last segment, the airplane lost height and hit a barrack short of the runway threshold, lost its landing gear and crashed in flames on the runway. Both pilots were rescued while one person on the ground was killed and two others were injured.

Meteor Air Transport is an irregular carrier, and in this instance was transporting a Pratt and Whitney R-2800 engine and four company employees from Teterboro, New Jersey, to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the engine was to be installed in a company C-46 aircraft. The flight departed Teterboro for St. Louis, Missouri, at approximately 2300, May 23, 1953, on a VFR Flight Plan filed by Captain Harold Carr with an estimated flight time of six and one-half hours. An instrument flight plan filed en route was approved from over Troy, Ohio, intersection via Green Airways 4 to St. Louis, Missouri, cruising at 4,000 feet. The flight proceeded in a routine manner and reported over Terre Haute, Indiana, at 0259, May 24, and at 0324 the following clearance was given to Vandalia radio for delivery to the flight: "ATC clears N 53596 to the Alton intersection to cross Alton at 3,000, Maintain 3,000, no delay expected, contact approach control approaching Alton." At 0357, N 53596 made its initial contact with the St. Louis Tower with the information that it was approaching Alton intersection at 3,000. In reply to an inquiry, N 53596 advised the tower that it carried ILS equipment and was recleared to the ILS Outer Marker 2 to maintain 3,000 with no expected delay and to report when over the Alton intersection. The flight was given the current St. Louis weather: ceiling measured 400 overcast, visibility 3 miles, fog and smoke, altimeter 29.93. It was cleared for an ILS approach to Runway 24 or l2, 3 wind south variable 5, to report leaving 3,000, passing Alton and the Outer Marker. N 53596 reported leaving 3,000 at 0408, passing Alton intersection at 0410 1/2 and inbound over the Outer Marker at 0414. While the controller was watching the approach end of Runway 24 expecting N 53596 to come into view at any moment, a surging of engines was heard; and almost simultaneously a message was received from the flight stating that it was over the field with an engine out. The time as noted by the controller was 0415 at which time all runny and approach lights were turned up to full intensity and the standby emergency alarm sounded. The pilot of the aircraft was advised that the surface winds were calm and to use any runway he could make. Shortly thereafter, the controller for the first and only time observed N 53596 at a position south of the field flying on a southeasterly heading above Natural Bridge Highway which runs parallel to Runway 12. The altitude of the aircraft was estimated at 300 feet and it appeared to be descending with the landing gear in a down position. Upon reaching an altitude of 200 feet, according to the controller, it started a climbing left turn and disappeared in the overcast. Repeated efforts to contact the flight were unsuccessful. It was learned shortly thereafter through the county sheriff's office that the aircraft had crashed adjacent to Brown Road near the McDonnell Aircraft Plant gate number 6. Navy emergency equipment was immediately dispatched to the scene. There was no fire. The occupants of the aircraft were Senior Captain S. J. Rankin, Captain Harold Carr, First Officers Edward J. Raftery and Arthur A. Ravitz, Stewardess Anne Marie Delicata, Superintendent of Maintenance John Swart and Floyd Evans, mechanic. Mr. John Swart was the only survivor.

The aircraft arrived at Cheyenne, Wyoming at 0038, May 22, on a Civil Air Movement flight (military contract) from New York International Airport. The incoming pilots had no mechanical or radio discrepancies to report. After the aircraft was serviced, Captain Bowen F. Marshall and Copilot Samuel B. Aronson relieved the incoming crew for the purpose of ferrying the aircraft to Chicago, at which point, the pilots were to turn it over to another crew. Both pilots visited the U. S. Weather Bureau Airport Station at Cheyenne for weather briefing; all current weather information through 2330 (including three severe weather warnings) was on file and available to them. The aircraft departed Cheyenne at 0132, on an instrument flight plan to O’Hare Airport, Chicago, via Green Airway 3 and Red Airway 42 at 7,000 feet. Neither passengers nor cargo was carried and the center of gravity was within permissible limits. Routine position reports were made over Sidney, North Platte, Grand Island, and Omaha, Nebraska. In the last position report, at 0337, the flight reported to Omaha INSAC (Interstate Airways Communication Station) that it was over Omaha at 7,000 feet, estimating over Des Moines at Ohio. Three minutes later, the pilot again contacted Omaha INSAC and requested a change of altitude to 3,000 feet. Air Route Traffic Control, through Omaha INSAC, advised the flight that the 3,000-foot altitude was unavailable until arrival over Des Moines owing to a westbound flight proceeding at 2,600 feet between Des Moines and Omaha, and the request for descent would have to be disapproved. The flight was given the latest weather information between Omaha and Chicago, and the Des Moines 0327 weather, and there were no further radio contacts after this. Des Moines tower personnel received a telephone call at 0517 notifying them of the crash. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

American Air Transport, Inc., an irregular air carrier, was operating this flight as a ferry operation from Columbia. South Carolina to Seattle, Washington for the purpose of later conducting a Civil Air Movement of military personnel from Seattle. Captain John W. Schroeder and First Officer James P. Gilbert flew the aircraft from Columbia to Cheyenne, Wyoming, departing Columbia at 1305 EST, April 22, 1953, and arriving at Cheyenne at 1835 MST of the same date. The flight from Columbia to Cheyenne was completed without incident. A second crew, Captain Maurice A. Booska, Chief Pilot of the company, and First Officer Donald F. Dwelley, rode as passengers to Cheyenne, at which point they relieved Schroeder and Gilbert, who continued with the flight as passengers. The aircraft was serviced at Cheyenne, making the total fuel load 1,200 gallons of 100-octane gasoline. Captain Booska received a weather briefing at the U. S. Weather Bureau Airport Station; following this, he filed a VFR flight plan to Boise, Idaho via Airways Green 3 and Red 1. Departing from Cheyenne at 2043 MST (delayed owing to repair of the left navigation light), the flight proceeded uneventfully. The pilot made position reports over Rawlins and Rock Springs. Wyoming; Malad City and Burley, Idaho; and three minutes east of Boise at 2252. In all position reports except Rock Springs and Malad City (where no altitude was given) the flight altitude was reported as 12,000 feet. Upon request from the flight, Boise radio furnished the Boeing Field-Seattle forecast and the 2228 en route weather between Boise and Seattle. The pilot then filed an IFR flight plan to destination, and the following clearance was transmitted by Boise radio at 2254: "ATC CLEARS N1693M TO THE SEATTLE RANGE VIA RED 1, BLUE 32 BLUE 12, GREEN 2. MAINTAIN 12,000 FEET." The clearance was acknowledged by the pilot. Later position reports indicated that the flight was at 12,000 feet when over Baker. Oregon at 2331 and Pendleton, Oregon at 2353. Near Yakima, Washington the flight was cleared for descent to 10,000 feet and upon reporting over Yakima at 0026, it was further cleared to descend to and maintain 8,000 feet. Ellensburg, Washington radio received a position report at 0037 that the flight passed over Ellensburg 2 at 0034, 8,000 feet. IFR. Ellensburg radio transmitted the Boeing Field 2330 weather to the flight at 0040; the pilot acknowledged and advised that he would contact Seattle Air Route Traffic Control Center on 120.3 megacycles when over Easton, Washington. The pilot contacted Seattle Center at 0047 and reported over Easton at 8,000 feet, inbound to Boeing Field. Seattle Center thereupon issued the following clearance: "NECTAR ONE SIX NINE THREE METRO YOU ARE CLEARED TO CROSS HOBART AT 8,000 SEATTLE AT OR ABOVE 4,000 MAINTAIN 4,000 NO DELAY EXPECTED CONTACT SEATTLE APPROACH CONTROL OVER HOBART FOR FURTHER CLEARANCE OVER." The controller in the Seattle Center who was handling this flight was at his control board, about four feet from a loud-speaker installed on top of the unit. The read-back of the clearance by the pilot of N1693M seemed to the controller to be as follows: "ROGER, CLEARED TO - - - -(distinct pause involving a lapse of three or four seconds) CROSS THERE FOUR THOUSAND OR ABOVE THE RANGE STATION, AH, FOUR THOUSAND, REPORT HOBART TO YOU." A correction. "NEGATIVE REPORT HOBART TO SEATTLE APPROACH CONTROL," was then immediately transmitted. The pilot replied, "HOBART TO SEATTLE APPROACH CONTROL ROGER." These contacts were made at approximately 0048. There was no record of further transmission from the aircraft. When the pilot failed to report over Hobart, and the flight became overdue at Seattle, controllers in the Seattle Center and Boeing Field tower attempted to contact the flight, but without success. Search and rescue activities were then instituted. The accident scene was found the next day and the two survivors were rescued.

While descending to Rønne Airport, the twin engine aircraft went through a patch of fog when it struck tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located about nine km northeast of the airfield. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt N. B. Larsen,
Lt Bent Helge Stier Andersen.