Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Just after liftoff from Vila do Porto Airport (Santa Maria Island), while in initial climb, the aircraft suffered a loss of power on one engine. It stalled, hit the runway surface and came to rest. There were no injuries among the 44 occupants but the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair. The four engine aircraft was performing a flight from Madrid to Mexico City with an intermediate stop in Vila do Porto.

After touchdown on runway 27R at Tempelhof Airport, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, hit a wooded fence and came to rest in flames. All four crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was partially destroyed by fire. The crew was taking part to the Berlin Airlift.

Take-off from Anchorage was accomplished at 2012, March 12, 1948, and the flight proceeded en route. 2 At 2028 the flight reported over the Wasilla Intersection, which is the intersection of the north course of the Anchorage radio range and the east course of the Skwentna radio range. This intersection is located 35 miles north 3 of Anchorage. Three minutes later, at 2031, the flight reported that it was at its cruising altitude of 11,000 feet. At 2042 the flight reported over Sheep Mountain, a non-directional radio beacon located 85 miles airways distance, 31 degrees, from Anchorage. At 2103 the flight reported being over the Gulkana radio range station, 159 miles, 34 degrees, from Anchorage, and at this time it estimated that it would be over Northway, Alaska, 283 miles from Anchorage, at 2136. Gulkana did not establish communication with the flight. However, the flight repeated its clearance into the Fairbanks area back to Northway, indicating that the flight could receive on 400 kcs, the frequencies for both the Northway radio range and communication. Shortly before the position report of 2103, the flight was observed flying an easterly heading approximately 4 miles south of the Gulkana radio range station. Approximately 42 miles, 51 degrees, from the Gulkana radio range station is Mt. Sanford, the elevation of which is 16,208 feet. In order to provide a safe lateral distance from Mt. Sanford for aircraft flying the route, the airway from Gulkana east is deflected to the north, its course being 23 degrees. Fifteen minutes after the flight was observed flying easterly from Gulkana a fire was observed on the western slope of Mt. Sanford. Except for a repeat transmission of the flight's Gulkana position report, overheard by Northway Radio 124 miles northeast of Gulkana and approximately one minute before the fire was observed on Mt. Sanford, no communication was received from the flight after 2103. Northwest Airlines, at 2150, requested from Anchorage Radio the reported time of the flight over Northway, at which time Anchorage Radio advised that neither the Northway nor the Gulkana stations had been able to contact the flight, and that a fire had been reported on Mt. Sanford. Radio facilities over the route were immediately alerted. Since all attempts to contact the flight were unsuccessful, it was concluded that the flight had struck Mt. Sanford and burned.

During the takeoff roll in Tulsa, the nose gear hit a snowdrift. After departure, during initial climb, the crew was unable to raise the nose gear so the captain decided to divert to Dallas-Love Field for a safe landing. After touchdown, the aircraft slid on its nose and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

The aircraft was carrying a passenger and six crew members on a test flight in Rome-Fiumicino Airport. While flying in the vicinity of the airfield, an engine caught fire and the captain elected to make an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed in a field located in Ponte Galeria, east of the airport, and came to rest in flames. All seven occupants were unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

One minute after a night takeoff from Goose Bay, while in initial climb, the pilot encountered serious difficulties to gain height, informed ground and elected to return. Shortly later, the four engine aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 13,5 km north of the airport. Six occupants were seriously injured while 23 others were killed.

The flight arrived over the Seattle radio range station at 3,000 feet on its initial approach to the Boeing Airport at 1357. Shortly before Captain Farris had reported to Seattle Radio that he had 2 rough engines, but he did not declare an emergency. The condition of engine roughness is discussed below. Weather at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, was reported to be ceiling indefinite 500 feet visibility one mile. An instrument approach for landing at Boeing Field was made, but not completed because of the low ceiling and visibility, so the flight returned to an altitude of 1,500 feet on the northwest course of the Seattle radio range. During this time Copilot Whitting remained in the left seat and flew the airplane. The second instrument approach was made for a landing at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, sometimes referred to as the Bow Lake Airport, which is located 4 miles south of the Seattle radio range station. The airplane was flown inbound on the northwest course of the range. Then, after passing over the range station at 1,500 feet, a heading of 193 degrees toward the airport was flown, and a descent made for landing. The aircraft was first observed at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport when approximately 500 feet above the approach and of Runway 20, 5,611 feet long, at which time it was flying at an angel to the left of the runway. An "S" maneuver and rapid decent were made. A right turn was entered and held until the airplane was again over Runway 20, then it turned left. When the airplane first made contact with the runway it was in the left turn, and the left wing was so low that those who observed the landing thought that it would strike the ground. The first point of touchdown was made 2,748 feet beyond the approach end of the runway. The airplane progressed over the remaining distance of the runway without apparent deceleration. Captain Farris, who had taken over the controls of the airplane when it was in the left turn, stated that he allowed the airplane to slow down of its run accord to 50 or 60 miles per hour before applying brakes, and that he released the emergency air bottle 1,000 feet from the end of the runway. Before passing over the end of the runway an attempt was made to groundloop the airplane to the left by applying power to engine 4. Nevertheless, the airplane traveled almost straight ahead. It went off the end of the runway, crossed 229 feet of wet ground, and then rolled down a 24-foot embankment. At the bottom of the embankment it struck a ditch which sheared off the left lending gear and the left wing. The aircraft continued on to the intersection of the Des Moines Highway and South 188th Street where it collided with a moving automobile. Spilled gasoline was ignited, and the wreckage was enveloped in flames. The Weather Bureau at tie Seattle-Tacoma Airport made an observation immediately following the crash and reported an indefinite ceilings, 400-foot overcast, visibility variable one-half to one mile, and light rain and fog.

Enroute to Lima, it is believed that an engine caught fire. Most probably, the crew decided to divert to the Marcona Naval Station but the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a desert area located near San Juan de Marcona. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 14 occupants were killed.

The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro, carrying an Argentinian delegation to the Inter-American Conference in Rio de Janeiro. Due to poor visibility caused by thick fog, the crew failed to establish a visual contact with the airport of Rio and continued to the northeast. Eventually, the captain elected to make an emergency landing, maybe due to fuel shortage. The aircraft crash landed on a beach located in Itapemirim, about 330 km northeast of Rio. The aircraft was written off while all occupants were unhurt.

During the takeoff roll, the captain elected to rotate but the aircraft failed to respond. The crew attempted to make an emergency braking procedure but the aircraft failed to stop within the remaining runway, overran, hit several people who came to the airport to assist to the departure of the aircraft, crossed a road and came to rest in flames. Fourteen occupants plus three people on the ground were killed. Five other occupants plus eight people on the ground were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. The crew was on a flight to the nearby airbase of Morón to take part to the commemoration of the death of the Argentinian General José de San Martin in 1850. About 200 aircraft from the Argentinian Air Force were taking part to this event.