Washington

On April 23, 1965, at 1423 P.s.t., an AAXICO Airlines, Inc., Douglas DC-6A, N6541C, crashed on the west slope of Mt. Rainier, Washington. The accident site was 40.2 nautical miles southeast of the Seattle ‘VORTAC, on the 125° radial, at an elevation of 10,200 feet m.s.l. The aircraft was being operated as Logair Flight 1422A, on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight from Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, to Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. All five crew members received fatal injuries as a result of the crash. The flight was attempting to obtain an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance when it struck the snow covered glacier. The aircraft was destroyed by impact. There was no fire.

Zantop Air Transport, Inc., LOGAIR Flight 60-16 (VK060), a Curtiss C-40F, N616Z, crashed following an attempt to land on runway 17 at Thun Field, near Puyallup, Washington, at 1826 P.s.t., February 16, 1963. Both crew members survived the crash but were severely injured. There were no other occupants. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post-impact fire. An engine malfunction seven minutes after takeoff from McChord AFB, Washington, was followed by an unsuccessful attempt to feather the propeller and by intermittent overspeeding. During an attempted go-around from the landing approach the pilot lost control of the aircraft and crashed in a pasture approximately one-half tile northeast of Thun Field.

The crew started the descent to Fairchild AFB and the pilot-in-command completed a turn to the right to join the approach path for runway 23. At this time, weather conditions were good with a 25 miles visibility and few clouds down to 1,000 feet. Too low, the four engine aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Kit Carson (1,320 meters high) located 30 miles northeast of Fairchild AFB. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 44 occupants were killed.

While completing a training mission over the Washington State, the crew informed ATC about hydraulic problems and was cleared to land at Everett-Paine Field. After touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, went through a fence and came to rest on an embankment. Both pilots were killed.

The four engine aircraft christened 'Old Shakey' was involved in a flight from McChord AFB to Lawton, Oklahoma, carrying a truck, several jeeps, two trailers and soldiers from Fort Sill who had been taking part in Exercise Lava Plains at the Yakima Firing Center. After a night takeoff, while climbing to a height of 500 feet, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a wooded area located two miles south of the airport. 18 people were killed while four others were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed.
Crew:
Cpt Warren J. Fair, pilot, †
Cpt Alvin W. Hill, copilot, †
Sgt Robert Wayne Cummins, †
M/Sgt Arnold R. Neldens, †
M/Sgt Raymond E. Overby, †
S/Sgt Ernest T. Landrum,
A2c James M. Smallwood. †
Passengers:
Pvt James Aldrich,
M/Sgt Llewellyn Morris Chilson,
P1c Jimmie R. Hunter,
P1c C. L. Buchanan, †
P1c T. E. Pulliam, †
P1c D. F. Radcliff, †
P1c D. J. Smith, †
P1c O. M. Wellings, †
P1c David Hoskins, †
P1c R. R. Kubik, †
S4c W. M. Gordon, †
S4c W. T. Kelly, †
S4c Joseph Lee, †
Sgt A. G. Neria, †
Sgt Lawrence Harrison. †

The crew left Larson AFB for a refueling mission over Montana. When the B-52 was supposed to be connected with a USAF KC-135, the probe struck the right wing of the B-52 that was pierced. The operation was cancelled and the crew returned to Larson AFB. Upon landing, the right wing failed and the aircraft crashed in flames. All 10 crew members evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed.

Just after liftoff, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion. Eight crew members were killed and one survived. The aircraft was destroyed.

The crew was involved in a local training mission at Whidbey Island NAS when a bomb attached under the right wing exploded in mid-air. The right wing detached and the aircraft crashed into the sea off the NAS. All nine crew members were killed.

A Boeing Airplane Company test pilot was acting as an instructor-pilot on a demonstration and acceptance flight prior to the aircraft being delivered to the customer. The company was also utilizing this flight time for flight instruction purposes in qualifying airline personnel in the aircraft. The instructor-pilot demonstrated several maneuvers, including Dutch Rolls, to a pilot-trainee, an airline captain who was making his first training flight training flight prior to checkout on the Boeing 707. The instructor-pilot initiated a Dutch Roll in which the roll-park angle of the aircraft reached 40 to 60 degrees. This bank angle is in excess of limitation set by the company for demonstration of his maneuver. The pilot-trainee, who was to make the recovery, rolled full right aileron control while the right rank was still increasing. The instructor-pilot immediately rolled in full opposite aileron. The airplane stopped its right roll at a point well past a vertical bank and then rolled to the left even more violently. Several gyrations followed and after control of the aircraft was regained, it was determined that three of the four engines had separated from the aircraft and it was on fire. The fire rapidly reduced controllability of the aircraft and an emergency landing was attempted, however, the aircraft struck trees and crashed short of the intended landing area because power on the engine remaining had to be shut down to keep the aircraft wings level. The aircraft was destroyed and four crew members were killed while four others were injured.

At liftoff, while in initial climb, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames. A crew member was seriously injured while nine other occupants were killed. The tower saw the fire prior to takeoff and tried to warn the pilot, but apparently the plane left the ground at about the time of the warning and it was too late.
Crew (VAH123):
Lt William F. Wade, pilot, †
Lt Eldwin J. Bruner, copilot, †
Lt Hilton L. Cutter Jr., †
Ens Carl D. Johnson, †
Ens Vernon L. Garner, †
A2c John D. McMillan, †
Ocm Joseph E. Foltz, †
A3c Harry A. Hartwell, †
Asm George F. Robertson, †
At2 Gerlando P. Ilardi.