Illinois

The crew was completing a cargo flight from LaGuardia Airport to Midway Airport in Chicago. On final approach to runway 31, the captain considered his position was incorrect and decided to make a go around. Few minutes later, during a second attempt to land, he failed to realized his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck a 96-foot steel tower, stalled and crashed in flames on a railroad located about 0,9 mile short of runway 31 threshold. The aircraft and the cargo were destroyed by a post crash fire while both pilots were uninjured.

Shortly after takeoff from Chicago-Merrill C. Meigs Airport, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed into the Lake Michigan, about 50 feet from the shore. All seven occupants were rescued while the aircraft was lost. Owned by Cluett Peabody & Company, the airplane was on its way to White Plains, New York.

Capital Airlines flight 141 of February 20, 1956, originated at Willow Run Airport, Detroit, Michigan, and was a regularly scheduled flight to Chicago. The crew consisted of Captain Roger Harrison Taylor, First Officer George Richard Hanst and Stewardesses Jacqueline V. Sadowski and Gloria Galloway. Captain R. E. Gilliland, the fifth assigned crew member, was deadheading to Chicago and rode in the passenger cabin. Following a weather briefing, which included a review of en route and terminal weather forecasts, a VFR flight plan was filed. Departure from Detroit was at 0700. The gross takeoff weight of the air- craft was 54,701 pounds, which was below the specified limit; the load was distributed properly with respect to the center of gravity of the aircraft. The flight to the vicinity of Chicago was routine. Near Chicago Flight 141 reported to the Chicago tower that it was over the shoreline. The flight later reported passing Kedzie and was cleared to land on runway 31R. The flight was observed to make a right turn to final approach and appeared to descend in a normal manner until over the west side of Cicero Avenue (the eastern boundary of the airport) at an altitude of 25 to 50 feet above the ground. At this point the airplane appeared to decelerate and descend rapidly. The aircraft was further observed to strike the ground in a slightly nose-up attitude several hundred feet short of the threshold of threshold of the runway, and the top of the fuselage was seen to break open adjacent to the wing spar to fuselage attachment. As the aircraft proceeded down the runway the landing gear retracted and the aircraft then slid on its belly until it came to rest to the left of the runway, 1,626 feet beyond the point of initial impact. All occupants left the aircraft through emergency exits or the main cabin door. The fire department, having been called by tower personnel, arrived at the scene before all persons had evacuated the aircraft. However, there was no fire. The Chicago weather at 0720 was reported as: Sky clear, visibility 6 miles; smoke; wind north-northwest.

Flight 560 is a Braniff daily scheduled flight between Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, with intermediate stops at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; and Kansas City, Missouri. On July 17 the flight crew, assigned at Dallas for the entire trip, consisted of Captain Allen R. Tobin. First Officer Orbin W. Hanks, and Hostess Mary E. Teel. Captain Tobin and First Officer Hanks arrived at the airport more than an hour before the scheduled departure. During this time preflight preparations were made in a normal and routine manner. The pilots were briefed and furnished the latest weather forecasts and reports over the route and for the scheduled stops. No weather conditions of consequence were indicated except that fog was forecast for the Chicago area, and the visibility was expected to be restricted to possibly one-half mile, on arrival. Flight 560 departed Dallas on schedule at 0100. The flight segments between Dallas and Wichita were uneventful; however, while starting the No. 1 (left) engine at Wichita prior to departure a small carburetor intake manifold fire occurred which was immediately extinguished. There was no damage incurred and the engine started easily on the second attempt. The flight proceeded to Kansas City where it landed at 0416. As the aircraft taxied to the terminal several persons noted that the No. 1 propeller was feathered and stopped. Captain Tobin told Braniff personnel that it feathered while being returned to positive pitch after reverse thrust had been used during the landing roll deceleration. The captain unfeathered the propeller before deplaning and maintenance personnel checked it for malfunction; none was indicated. No other mechanical service was requested or performed. The aircraft was serviced to 1,000 gallons of fuel while Captain Tobin and First Officer Hanks received supplemental weather information and completed other preparations for the last segment of the route to Chicago. Flight 560 departed Kansas City at 0435 in accordance with a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flight plan. The aircraft, according to company records, was loaded to a gross weight of 45,622 pounds. This amount was less than the maximum allowable of 47,000 pounds and the load was properly distributed with respect to the center of gravity limitations. The flight climbed to 15,000 feet m. s. l. (mean sea level. At 0519 it requested and received an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan for the remainder of the trip; accordingly, routine en route reports were made. This segment, as well as the previous, was described as very pleasant, smooth, and conducted primarily above or clear of the clouds. At 0547 ARTC cleared the flight as follows: “ATC clears Braniff 560 to the Naperville Omni via Peoria, Victor 116 over Joliet, maintain at least l,000 on top, tops reported 2,000 m. s. l., contact Chicago Center on 118.9 mc. passing Peoria.” This clearance was acknowledged and the flight reported accordingly. At 0556 Chicago ARTC broadcast a Chicago special weather observation which was: “Thin obscuration, visibility one-half mile.” At approximately 0609 the flight was asked by ARTC if it could land with one-half mile visibility and 1,000 feet thin obscuration. Braniff 560 replied that it could. At 0611 the flight reported over Joliet, 1,000 on top, whereupon ARTC advised it to contact the Chicago Midway Approach Control. Immediate contact was made and the flight was given the same weather and the latest altimeter information. The crew reported at 0618 over Naperville and was radar vectored by Approach Control to the outer marker for an ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach to runway 13R for landing. At 0624 the aircraft hit the sign and crashed through the airport boundary fence onto the airport. Another flight, holding off the runway before takeoff saw the wreckage stop and immediately notified the tower; crash emergency procedures were promptly initiated. The weather conditions reported at the time of the accident were: Partial obscuration; visibility one-half mile, fog, and smoke; sea level pressure 1014.2; temperature 71, dewpoint 68; wind south 6; altimeter 29.94; remarks, fog 8.

The crew was completing a local training flight at Chicago-O'Hare Airport. On final approach, the airplane went out of control and crashed three miles northwest of the airfield. A crew member was killed while two others were injured.

On final approach to Moline-Quad City Airport, an engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a field short of runway. There were no injuries but the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Monarch's Flight 1090 was cleared by Air Route Traffic Control (ARTC) to proceed on an instrument flight plan at 9,000 feet, nonstop Chicago to Newark, New Jersey. The crew consisted of Captain Marvin C. Staddon, Copilot Arthur J. Howarth, and Stewardess Thelma Dennis. Total aircraft weight at the time of take-off was approximately 46,100 pounds, 1,100 pounds in excess of the authorized gross weight. According to the crew the disposable load was so distributed as to be within the certificated limits with respect to the center of gravity. Prior to being cleared for take-off, preflight checks were accomplished in accordance with company operating procedures. All items checked satisfactorily, and the captain started his take-off at 0227 on Runway 31. He advanced the throttles to approximately 45 inches manifold pressure and 2700 RPM. The copilot then continued to advance the throttles to a manifold pressure of 47 inches, tightened the friction locks and guarded the throttles with his left hand to prevent creepage. The aircraft became airborne approximately half-way down the runway, which is 5,730 feet in length According to the copilot, manifold pressure and RPM's remained constant, and engine performance was normal. At the captain's command to raise the landing gear, the copilot moved the handle into the retract position and noticed at this time that the aircraft, now airborne, was turning slightly to the left and the air speed indicator read approximately 85 miles per hour. With the left wing down and with but a few feet of altitude, the copilot, realizing an emergency existed, immediately applied emergency take-off power--55 inches manifold pressure However, the C-46, still turning, struck several small aircraft parked on the west side of the airport, and continued beyond the airport boundary, striking a fence and railroad embankment Both throttles were then closed by the captain, but the electrical system switches were not turned off. The aircraft came to rest beyond the embankment and about one-half mile west of the airport's west boundary on a heading of approximately 250 degrees. A fire developed immediately, but all passengers and crew were evacuated before it assumed major proportions. The aircraft was destroyed. The maximum indicated air speed attained in flight, approximately 100 MPH, was noticed by the captain shortly after the landing gear was retracted. The maximum altitude attained was estimated as 25 feet.

Shortly after takeoff from Decatur Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located 2 miles from the airfield. All five occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The twin engine aircraft was performing an executive flight from Chicago to Saint Louis, carrying two members of the board of Fairbanks-Morse & Company and two pilots. En route, the crew encountered technical problems with an engine and reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing. Unfortunately, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in a cornfield located 1 mile west of Roanoke. Both pilots Jack Hadden and Elmer West and the passenger Charles H. Morse III were killed while the second passenger W. E. Watson was injured.

The approach to Chanute AFB was completed by night and very limited visibility due to foggy conditions. On final, the aircraft hit the roof's corner of a barrack, stalled and crashed on a second barrack. All 19 passengers were injured while all three crew members were killed as the cockpit was destroyed on impact.