Lockheed 18 LodeStar

The crew was forced to make an emergency landing in Catanduva four days prior to the accident, while flying in stormy weather. The aircraft was repaired but crashed on takeoff for unknown reason. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Shortly after takeoff from Lakehurst-Maxfield Field, while in initial climb bound for Newark, the left engine failed. The crew decided to return to Lakehurst for an emergency landing, but on final approach, the captain elected to make a go around as the aircraft was not properly aligned with the runway centerline. The aircraft banked left and crashed in flames. Both crew members and two passengers were killed while two others were seriously injured.

While descending to Barquisimeto Airfield, an engine caught fire. As the crew was unable to extinguish the fire, he decided to make an emergency landing on a road leading to the airport. After touchdown, the airplane rolled for few yards before coming to rest in flames. All occupants were able to evacuate the cabin and were unhurt while the twin engine aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Flight 23 departed La Guardia Field at 1842 October 10, 1945, for Miami, Florida, with scheduled stops at Raleigh, N. C., and Jacksonville, Florida. Until landing at Jacksonville, the flight had been of a routine nature. However, during the flight the captain paid particular attention to an oil leak from the right engine which could be seen across the top of the engine cowl. Although the leak appeared to be very slight and had not necessitated excessive refill at either New York or Raleigh, Captain S. E. Stoia reported it to the National Airlines maintenance department at Jacksonville, with instructions that the leak be investigated. The aircraft was removed to a repair hangar and returned to the line after approximately one hour delay during which time two new oil hoses had been replaced. At 0123, October 11, 1945, the flight departed Jacksonville, on an instrument clearance to cruise at 2,000 feet to Miami. In order to avoid a slight turbulence at that flight altitude, Captain Stoia requested change of clearance to 4,000 feet. Approval for change of altitude was obtained after a delay due to traffic, and shortly after passing Daytona Beach, the flight climbed to 4,000 feet. At approximately 0210, First Officer W, S. Blomeley, who was seated in the co-pilot position, called Captain Stoia’s attention to spark which were coming from the right engine. Upon inspecting the engine with a flashlight, it was observed that thick smoke was pouring from under the engine cowl and that a wide band of oil was streaming back over the top of the nacelle. Realizing the danger of an oil fire and being anxious to avoid damage to the engine in the event of complete loss of oil, Captain Stoia immediately shut the engine down and feathered the right propeller. He advised the company station at Jacksonville of his difficulty and elected to continue to Melbourne, Florida, about 15 miles away for an emergency landing. Upon reaching Melbourne, however, the flight was advised by Melbourne Tower that the runway lights were inoperative and that considerable delay would be necessary before the mobile flood light apparatus would be available. Captain Stoia decided, therefore, to proceed to Banana River, 11 miles north, and Banana River Operations was advised by the Melbourne Tower Operator of his intentions and requested to prepare for his arrival. Although the captain had tuned to the Banana River Tower frequency, the tower was not equipped to receive the company frequency and two-way conversation was, therefore, not possible. As the flight approached the Banana River Naval Air Station, the captain observed that runway No. 6 was lighted, and being unable to establish radio contact with the tower, he assumed that it was the direction of landing intended. However, shortly before the aircraft arrived over the field, the tower personnel changed the runway lights to No. 15 since that runway was the longest one available at Banana River. The aircraft passed over the field at an altitude of 1500 feet, but the traffic pattern established by the flight was too close to the landing area, and, when on the final approach, Captain Stoia realized he was too high for a landing. When over the edge of the field at 300 feet with full flaps and gear extended and the airspeed at 100 mph, the captain decided to go around for another approach. Forty inches of manifold pressure was applied with full low pitch, the gear was fully retracted, and the flaps were retracted to the 30% position. During the missed approach procedure the captain intentionally held a nose-low attitude in order to accelerate to a normal climb airspeed; however, in spite of the loss of altitude, no increase in airspeed indication was obtained, and the aircraft continued to lose altitude while maintaining a straight course. Approximately 1/2 mile south southeast of the field, the aircraft struck the ground in a fairly level attitude longitudinally. The right wing made the first impact, the aircraft subsequently turning approximately 270 degrees as it skidded to a stop.

After touchdown at Palmerston North, while on a delivery flight to Union Airways, the twin engine aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest. Both pilots were uninjured while the aircraft was written off.

Flight 16 departed Miami at 2112 October 4, 1945, one hour and 15 minutes late due to rerouting of the aircraft from a previous schedule. The flight from Miami progressed uneventfully with routine stops being made at Fort Myers, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa. The aircraft was refueled at Tampa and under contact flight rules was cleared to Lakeland 33 Miles away. Departure was made at 0045 with a crew of three and twelve passengers. The flight climbed to an altitude of 1500 feet and continued towards Lakeland. At the time of departure the weather at Tampa was unlimited while Lakeland was reporting 9 miles visibility and scattered clouds at 500 feet. At 0058, when seven miles from the field, the first officer called Lakeland and made an “in-range” report to which the Lakeland tower replied, “In range, wind NE 7-8 mph, NE runway”. Although the pilots observed scattered stratus clouds over the lighted city of Lakeland, the airport was clearly visible. A descent was established for a straight-in approach to the NE runway and when at an altitude of about 900 feet and approximately three or four miles from the field the captain extended the gear, put the mixture in automatic rich and reduced the manifold pressure to 20 inches. At an altitude of 700 feet the propellers were placed in low pitch and the landing lights were turned on. When about 2 miles from the field at 600 feet the flaps wore extended fully. Shortly thereafter, according to the testimony of the pilot, the aircraft entered a cloud, however, ground witnesses at no time lost sight of the flight during its approach indicating that the cloudiness was not extensive. This cloud was above dark terrain and had not been seen by the pilots as were others above the lighted city. Because of the unexpected presence of a cloud during the approach, the captain remarked to the first officer that he was going around again and retracted the wheels. Some power was applied and, according to statements of the captain, the flaps were started up at that time. A number of witnesses on and near the airport observed the aircraft continue down the runway at a uniform altitude of 30 or 40 feet. As it passed beyond the runway, the captain stated that the throttles were opened to 45 inches of manifold pressure but that the plane settled rapidly into the lake. The plane struck the surface of the water approximately 1000 feet beyond the runway shedding some fuselage covering and apparently skipped an additional 1000 feet where it sank in 10 feet of water. The occupants of the aircraft, with the exception of two passengers, escaped from the wreckage and were rescued by local residents approximately thirty minutes later.

The landing was completed on a very wet runway. After touchdown, the twin engine aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest partially submerged into the bay located past the runway end. All 14 occupants were quickly evacuated while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Few minutes after takeoff from Algiers Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, few miles offshore. The aircraft sank and all seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
André Heinzelmann, pilot,
Charles Borel, radio navigator,
Germain Laffitte, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Georges Perez,
Marguerite Perez,
Joseph Remer,
Hubert Gabillet.

The 'pilot' stole the aircraft christened 'Karoro' that crashed on takeoff at Auckland-Mangere Airport. The aircraft went out of control during the takeoff roll and crashed. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Take-off was started on Runway 33 and the aircraft became airborne after traveling approximately 1,000 feet. Upon gaining an altitude of 10 or 15 feet the captain ordered "gear up" and the copilot complied. A few seconds later, when the gear was up, or nearly up, the captain sensed a power interruption with the aircraft yawing to the left. Concurrently he called out "Single engine", throttled both engines, ordered the landing gear down and lowered the nose of the aircraft slightly. After a few seconds had elapsed the landing gear was fully down. At the time of throttling the engines the aircraft was approximately one-half way down the 5200-foot run way and was at an altitude of which the most plausible consensus is 30 feet. First contact with the ground was made on the same runway at a speed the pilot estimated as 100 miles per hour. The aircraft bounced to an estimated height of 15 or 20 feet and made contact again on the sodded ground a few feet to the right side of the same runway. From this point on it twice again left the ground for distances of 189 and 728 feet. Brakes were applied intermittently during the second, the third, and the final contact with the ground. At some undetermined point following initial contact the captain applied 20 degrees of flap. Decelerating rapidly after the final contact the aircraft continued to roll to the right of the runway, diverging slightly, for a total distance of about 535 feet. It passed beyond the end of the runway and when an estimated 60 or 70 feet from a large drainage ditch nearly at right angles to the course, the pilot attempted to groundloop to the right. However, the plane turned only about 20 degrees to the right and rolled into the ditch, left wheel first, at an estimated speed of 10 or 15 m.p.h., about 95 feet to the left of a boundary marker. It rolled down the sloping side turning parallel with the ditch and stopped abruptly at the concrete-lined bottom where it immediately burned.