Lockheed L-049 Constellation

The crew was conducting a training mission (pilot transition program). While cruising at an altitude of 2,500 feet and completing a turn to the left, the four engine aircraft christened 'Star of Athens' went into a dive and crashed into the Delaware Bay, some 7 miles west off Cape May Pount. The aircraft was destroyed on impact and all four crew members were killed.

At 0135 the flight transmitted a report to Shannon Radio indicating its position as over the Irish coast at 7,000 feet. At this time the flight was cleared to cross the Limerick marker at 5,000 feet. Shortly thereafter Shannon Radio advised the flight of the Shannon weather. Visibility 2 miles, 10/10 cloud cover at 900 feet, 3/10 at 500 feet, wind 160 degrees, 5 knots, altimeter setting 30 04 inches. At 0153 the flight reported over the Shannon radio range station at 5,000 feet and was given clearance to descend on the SE leg. While in the procedure turn at 0200 the flight transmitted a position report to Shannon Radio and, in acknowledgement, received a later Shannon weather report. Rain and drizzle, visibility 2 miles, 10/10 cloud cover at 900 feet, 6/10 at 400 feet, wind 120 degrees, 5 knots, altimeter setting 30 04. Receipt of this weather retort was acknowledged and the Shannon control tower cleared the aircraft for approach to Runway 14. At 0206 the flight reported over the range station at 1,200 feet at which time Shannon Tower advised Aircraft 505 that Shannon was reporting 10/10 cloud cover at 400 feet, 4/10 at 250 feet, visibility 1 mile, wind 120 degrees, 5 knots. Upon receiving acknowledgement from the flight Shannon Tower requested the pilot to make a ceiling check. This request was also acknowledged by the flight. At approximately 0208 personnel at Shannon Airport observed Aircraft 505 approach the field on a heading parallel to Runway 32. The aircraft appeared to continue on this heading until over the airport at which time it turned to the right to a heading of approximately north. Shortly thereafter the aircraft disappeared from sight. At approximately 0209 these observers saw a brilliant flash WNW of the airport and heard a loud noise. Realizing that Aircraft 505 had crashed, tower personnel immediately initiated rescue operations and dispatched emergency crews to the scene of the accident.

The crew was performing a positioning flight to Wilmington-New Castle Airport to pick up passengers. On approach, the crew was informed by ATC that weather conditions were poor and that it should be better to divert to Philadelphia. The pilot attempted to land on runway 14 but after touchdown, he realized his mistake and elected to go around. It was too late, the aircraft overran, went through the perimeter fence, crossed a road where it hit two cars and continued for about 650 feet before coming to rest in flames. While all eight crew members escaped unhurt, the aircraft was destroyed.

Following an uneventful flight from New York-La Guardia, the crew completed the approach and landed properly. After touchdown, the captain requested the copilot for flaps up when the aircraft sank on its belly, skidded for several yards and came to rest, broken in two. All 36 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was written off.

The aircraft climbed to an altitude of 3,000 feet to an area approximately four miles east of the Reading Airport at which time, at the instruction of Captain Brown, Captain Nilsen leveled off to begin practice of instrument approach procedures. Shortly thereafter, the flight crew detected an odor resembling burning insulation, but did not immediately determine the source. At approximately 1137, the slight engineer went aft in order to determine the origin of the smoke. Upon opening the galley door, he observed that the entire cabin was filled with a very dense smoke and he returned to the cockpit and reported to Captain Brown that "the whole cabin is on fire". The crew immediately attempted to combat the fire with the cockpit fire-extinguisher but were unable to enter the cabin because of the dense smoke and intense heat. The smoke quickly filled the cockpit through the open galley door, rendering visibility extremely poor and making it difficult for the pilots to observe the instruments. The student flight engineer opened the cockpit crew hatch in an attempt to clear the cockpit of smoke, however, the opening of the hatch increased the flow of smoke from the cabin toward the cockpit and shortly thereafter it became impossible for Captain Brown to observe any of the instruments or to see through the windshield. Captain Brown opened the window on the right side of the pilot compartment and attempted to fly the aircraft back to the Reading Airport for an emergency landing while descending with the engines throttled and with his head out of the side window. With the increased intensity of the heat and denseness of the smoke in the cockpit, it became impossible for the pilots to maintain effective control of the aircraft. At an altitude of approximately 100 feet, two miles northwest of the airport, Captain Brown withdrew his head from the window and attempted to "ditch" the aircraft "blind". The aircraft contacted two electric power wires strung about 25 feet above the ground, and the left wing tip glanced against scattered rocks and struck the base of the large tree. The aircraft settled to the ground, slowly rotating to the left, as it skidded approximately 1,000 feet across a hay field, causing disintegration of the left wing panel, flaps and aileron. The aircraft continued to yaw to the left and, after having rotated more than 90 degrees, it plunged through a row of trees and telephone poles lining a road bordering the field, coming to rest in a pasture at a point approximately 150 feet beyond the road and pointing approximately 160 degrees from its original heading at the time of initial impact. Gasoline was spilled from the ruptured tanks and fire broke out consuming the major portion of the wreckage. When local farm workers arrived at the scene approximately one minute after the aircraft had come to rest, Captain Brown was observed walking away from the wreckage and Captain Nilsen was seen lying on the ground to the rear of the trailing edge of the right wing approximately six feet from the fuselage Both pilots were taken to the Reading Hospital where Captain Nilsen died shortly afterward. The remaining four crew members died in the wreckage.

The flight was cleared to Washington National Airport by the Washington control tower and Instructed to use Runway 21 However, because it had been necessary to bear to the left when northeast of the airport to a position from which approach to Runway 21 was, not practicable, the flight was asked by Washington Tower if it desired to use a right-hand. Pattern for Runway 36 The flight replied that it desired clearance for Runway 27, and, as the wind was calm, Washington Tower approved this request. The flight approached the field from the northeast and while over the east bank of the Potomac River approximately 2/3 of a mile from the boundary of the airport, turned to the right and started a descent in final approach to Runway 27. According to the testimony of the pilots, Initial contact was made with the runway between 800 and 1,000 feet from the approach end and the aircraft continued down the runway with less than normal deceleration, Approximately 600 feet from the far end of the runway the pilot attempted a turn to the right. After turning approximately 30 degrees, the aircraft rolled beyond the runway end and struck a concrete transformer housing. The aircraft whipped approximately 90 degrees to the right and came to rest across a drainage ditch with its empennage extending over the highway which adjoins the airport. All twelve occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.