Kansas

Flight 388C was a nonstop flight from Daggett, California, to Manhattan, Kansas. The crew consisted of Captain David R Brown, First Officer Joseph A. Merlo, Flight Engineer Peter H. Raymon, Stewardesses Sandra R. wise, and Ann H. Allen, and Pilot/Observer Penrod Rideout who was assigned to this flight to observe operating procedures preparatory to transitioning to L-1049 type aircraft. The aircraft was serviced with fuel and oil at the company's maintenance base in Long Beach, California, and departed for Daggett at 1210. The only maintenance required prior to departure was the replacement of the Y-lead, high tension ignition leads, and spark plugs of cylinders Nos. 12 and 13 on the No. 3 engine. Upon arrival at Daggett at 1245, Federal Aviation Agency (TAA) and Military Air Transport Service (MATS) inspectors conducted a visual ramp inspection of the aircraft and interrogation of the crew. The only discrepancy noted was small area of corrosion on the underside of the aft fuselage in the vicinity of the lavatory service area. Sixty-four U. S. Army personnel boarded at Daggett and were briefed by a stewardess regarding emergency exit locations, emergency equipment and procedure The aircraft required no servicing or maintenance and there were no carry-over maintenance items reported. Takeoff gross weight was computed to be 116,520 pounds. This weight and the center of gravity (e.g.) were both within prescribed limit. Following an uneventful flight, the crew started the descent to Manhattan Municipal Airport when the observer/pilot, who was standing between the captain's and first off seats, recalled that shortly after entering the final approach he observed the propeller rpm increase approximately 100 rpm and then return to the setting of 2400 rpm, This fluctuation occurred three times. Then, following extension of full flaps, he observed the captain reduce power to approximately inches hg and almost immediately the rate of descent increased and the aircraft yawed to the right. The aircraft, was at an altitude of approximately 75 feet a.g l. when he observed the No 3 propeller reverse indicating the light 3 come on and shouted, "No. 3 is in reverse". This shouted warning was concurrent with the application of engine power and was not heard by the captain. None of the other flight crew members saw the reverse light illuminate. Persons on the ground who witnessed the accident generally agreed that the approach appeared normal until the aircraft reached a point approximately 1/3 of a mile from the airport. It was then observed to settle abruptly and contact the ground several hundred feet short of the runway. Initial impact occurred in a wheat field, 546 feet from the approach end of runway 21. At, this point the aircraft was in a right bank of approximately 15 degrees and aligned slightly to the right of the runway centerline The aircraft bounced once, then continued through the wheat field on all three landing gears until it struck an earth embankment. 3-1/2 feet high, located 176 feet from the end of the runway. This impact sheared the right main landing gear and the nose gear from the aircraft. The right wing separated from the fuselage when the aircraft contacted the end of the runway. The aircraft slid a distance of 774 feet down the runway during which time the left main landing gear failed followed by separation of the left wind. The fuselage came to rest on a heading of approximately 270 degrees, 72 feet from the right side of the runway. There were no fatalities and only one passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire.

Continental Air Lines Flight 290, a Viscount 812, N242V, a regularly flight from Midland, Texas, crashed at the Kansas City Municipal Airport, Kansas City, Missouri, at 2244 c. s. t., January 29, 1963. All the occupants, three crew members and five passengers, received fatal injuries and the aircraft was destroyed by impact and subsequent fire. After making a straight-in approach to land on runway 18, in visual flight conditions, the aircraft continued to fly over the runway in a nose-up attitude without touching down. Near the south end of the runway, from an altitude of approximately 90 feet, the aircraft nosed over sharply, wings level, and dived into the ground. The main wreckage came to rest 680 feet beyond the end of the runway.

An engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to reduce his altitude and attempting an emergency landing. The twin engine aircraft belly landed in a field located nine miles south of Fredonia. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

An unexpected situation occurred during a night training mission over Kansas. The captain ordered his crew to bail out and attempted to make an emergency landing when he lost control of the heavy bomber that crashed in a huge explosion in a field located about 5,5 miles west of Onaga. The pilot was killed as well as a second crew member whose parachute failed to open. All ten other crew members were found alive. Those killed were A2c Charles Filittoni, right gunner, and Lt Col Thomas Stanley Robert, pilot.

Braniff Airways' Flight 65 departed Denver, Colorado, at 1535 on March 26, 1952, for Dallas, Texas, with intermediate stops scheduled at Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The crew consisted of Captain J. W. Stanford, First Officer J. P. Beakley, and Hostesses Dorothy Currey and Betty Murphy. The flight arrived at Colorado Springs after a routine trip and departed there at 1620. On departure it was cleared IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) direct to LaJunta, Colorado, and then by Red Airway 35 to Garden City, Kansas, and Red Airway 59 to Oklahoma City; to cruise at 8,000 feet to LaJunta, and to descend and maintain 7,000 feet from LaJunta to Oklahoma City. According to company records, the gross weight of the aircraft was within approved limits and the load was properly distributed. At 1653 the flight reported over LaJunta at 8,000 feet, descending to 7,000. Four minutes later, at 1657, the flight canceled its IFR flight plan and advised that it was proceeding VFR (Visual Flight Rules) direct to Oklahoma City via Liberal, Kansas. When in the vicinity of Hugoton, Kansas, at approximately 6,000 feet MSL, (3000 feet above the ground), one of the hostesses advised the crew that the right wing was on fire. This was the first indication the crew had that anything was wrong, as the fire-warning signal devices had not functioned and all engines appeared to be operating in a normal manner. The captain immediately looked through the small window in the forward cargo loading door on the right and saw a brilliant red reflection on the inboard surface of the No. 4 engine nacelle. Because of the brilliance of the reflection and the fact that it covered the entire visible portion of this nacelle, he believed the fire was of considerable proportion. He immediately asked the copilot where the fire was and was advised that he thought it was No. 3. The captain then decided to land as quickly as possible on a small airport near Hugoton which he had seen only a few seconds before the hostess came to the cockpit. Accordingly, the hostess was told to advise the passengers that an emergency landing was to be made, and the "Fasten seat belt" and "No smoking" signs were turned on. The captain then disengaged the autopilot, closed the throttle of the No. 3 engine, put the mixture control at idle cutoff, closed the fuel selector valve, and set the propeller control at the full high pitch position. Following this, he dived the aircraft in an attempt to extinguish the fire and to lose altitude. At this time the copilot asked the captain if he wanted the No. 3 engine's propeller feathered, and the captain said, "No." When an air speed of approximately 230 miles per hour was reached, power was reduced on the remaining three engines. During the dive the aircraft was heading in a southeasterly direction, and after a short time the dive was decreased and a steep left turn was made to a westerly heading. When the air speed decreased to approximately 200 miles per hour, the captain pulled the No. 3 fire extinguisher selector valve control handle (this also operates the fire wall shutoff valves), and then pulled the discharge handle of the left CO 2 bottle. When this bottle was discharged, the reflection on the No. 4 engine nacelle was observed to diminish appreciably. The captain said that at this time he thought he asked the copilot to discharge the right CO 2 bottle; however, this bottle was not discharged. The landing gear was lowered, and power was resumed on the three remaining engines. About this time the fire warning light in the cockpit came on, and the bell rang. These warning signals continued to operate intermittently. As soon as the gear was down, the descent was steepened and a series of steep slipping "S" turns were made toward the north while approaching the airport. At an altitude of approximately 200 to 300 feet above the ground, a pronounced buffeting (similar to that which accompanies a near stalling attitude) was experienced. This buffeting was so pronounced it was difficult to control the aircraft; however, it soon stopped and normal control was again resumed. When the buffeting occurred, the indicated air speed was approximately 150 mph. It is believed that the No. 3 engine fell from the aircraft at this time. The captain next called for full flaps. Although the copilot immediately executed this command, no apparent effect of the flaps being lowered was noticed by the crew, and a few seconds later, the aircraft touched down in the middle of the airport. The captain applied brake pressure immediately, but the aircraft did not decelerate. Approaching the north boundary of the field, the captain tried to turn left to avoid crossing a road which was adjacent to the airport, but the nose steering wheel was inoperative. Left rudder was immediately applied; however, the aircraft responded so quickly to this action that right rudder had to be applied at once to keep the aircraft from ground looping. After the aircraft was gain rolling straight, the captain pulled back on the wheel, causing the nose wheel to life from the ground, and the aircraft rolled beyond the airport boundary across a highway, through two fences and a ditch, and came to rest in a wheat field. All of the occupants were evacuated in an orderly manner, some through the forward compartment and main cabin doors by using descent ropes and a few by means of an emergency exit located on the left side of the aircraft.

Crash landed at Forbes Field. No casualties.

Crashed on landing. Crew fate unknown.

While cruising at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the aircraft became uncontrollable. All crew members were able to bail out but one of them drowned on landing. The aircraft crashed in a field and was destroyed.

Following an engine fire or explosion in flight, the crew was forced to divert to Fairfax Field for an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest. There were no casualties.

The crew consisting of two pilots and two engineers was completing a test flight on this first 34 Twin Quad prototype (certification program). Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed. The copilot was killed while three other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. Following this accident, the project was terminated.