Lockheed L-749 Constellation

A Lockheed Constellation, Model L-749A, N 116A, owned by the United States Government and operated by the Federal Aviation Agency, crashed following a local training flight at Topham Field, Canton Island, April 26, 1962, at 1213 local time. All four FAA crew members were fatally injured. One of the two passengers, not an FAA employee, was also fatally injured. The other, an FAA physician, was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The purpose of the flight was to train the copilot in various maneuvers and flight configurations prior to being tested for an Airline Transport Pilot Rating, and to train a flight maintenance technician as a flight engineer.

En route from San Juan to Managua on a cargo flight, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Caribbean Sea. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.

The four engine aircraft was towed by ground personal when it collided with a parked Douglas DC-7C registered N312A and operated by Overseas National Airways. The circumstances of the occurrence remains unclear. There were no injuries but both airplanes were damaged beyond repair.

Pacific Northern Flight 201 failed to maintain its intended track after taking off from Cordova, Alaska, bound for Anchorage, Alaska. Mt. Gilbert is approximately 28 nautical miles to the right of the flight's first intended checkpoint and is 9,646 feet in elevation. At an altitude of 9,000 feet, crashed into the sheer face of Mt. Gilbert, killing all nine passengers and five crew members.

On landing, one of the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest on the runway. There were no injuries among the 45 occupants but the aircraft was later declared as damaged beyond economical repair.

Following an uneventful flight from Munich, the crew started an ILS approach to Vienna-Schwechat runway 30. On final, the captain made a visual circuit when ground contact was apparently lost, causing the airplane to lose height. On short final, the Constellation crash landed in a field 2,2 km short of runway 30 threshold and came to rest. All 34 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft took off from Guadalajara Airport on a scheduled flight to Mexico City, carrying 38 passengers and a crew of 7. It did not follow the established climb-out procedure and crashed at approximately 2206 hours local time against La Latilla mountain, approximately 13 km from the radio beacon west of Guadalajara Airport, killing all persons aboard.

The aircraft left Khartoum International Aerodrome at 0555 hours GMT on 10 July carrying a crew of 6 and 14 passengers and was cleared to cruise at 17 500 feet. At 0610 hours, at about 10 500 feet altitude, the number two engine fire warning light for zones 2 and 3 came on and the warning bell rang. The engine was feathered. The CO2 bottle was released and concurrently an explosion followed by a violent fire, made it necessary (at approximately 0620) to land the aircraft with gear up on a large flat cultivated area. There were no injuries to passengers or crew, but the aircraft was almost totally destroyed by fire which continued burning on the ground.

YV-C-AMA, on scheduled flight 253, took off from Idlewild Airport, NY, for Maiquetía, Venezuela, on 26 November with 7 crew and 18 passengers aboard. The flight plan gave an altitude of 17 000 ft, and the duration of the flight was estimated at 9 hours 48 minutes, with Barcelona and Curaçao as alternate airports. The pilot transmitted two position reports, the first, 75 miles northwest of Maiquetía, at 17 500 ft at 0751 hours, and the second, 14 minutes later, 35 miles northwest of Maiquetía at 7 000 ft. No further communication was received from YV-C-AMA after it had been cleared to change to tower frequency. Following the failure to report to the control tower, the aircraft was repeatedly called on all Maiquetía Control Centre frequencies at 0815 hours, with negative results. A state of emergency was declared at 0835 hours, and it was later established that the aircraft struck the western slope of peak El Avila located in the El Avila National Park at an altitude of 6 702 ft, killing all 25 occupants.

Flight 642 originated at Miami, Florida, with its destination Boston, Massachusetts; Jacksonville, Florida, was included as an intermediate stop. The captain was briefed by the company forecaster on the en route weather and terminal forecasts, and following the briefing the flight was dispatched to Jacksonville on an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan. This plan specified a flight to be made via Victor Airway 3 at a Cruising altitude of 11,000 feet. The crew consisted of Captain Thomas Francis McBrien, Pilot John Jay Rinyu, Flight Engineer Charles Calvin Devine and Flight Attendants Emma Elizabeth Williams and Clara Dorothea Rioseco. There were 12 passengers on board. Flight 642 was scheduled to depart Miami International Airport at 2340, December 20, but because of the late arrival of an inbound flight using the aircraft involved departure was not made until 0212, December 21. According to company records the gross weight of the aircraft at the time of departure was 85,944 pounds, which was under the allowable takeoff gross weight of 107,000 pounds; the load was properly distributed. Routine en route radio reports were made and at 0315 the flight reported over Daytona Beach at 11,000 feet, estimating Jacksonville at 0336. This report was made to the company's Jacksonville station and at this time the flight was given the Jacksonville 0248 U. S. Weather Bureau special report: "Thin obscuration, 2 miles visibility; ground fog; wind north-northwest 6 miles per hour; 30 percent of sky obscured." After this message was acknowledged, the flight was given the following clearance: "Jacksonville air route traffic control clears Eastern Air Lines Flight 62 to Jacksonville middle marker ILS, cross middle marker IlS at 2.500 feet, maintain 2,500 feet until further advised. Contact Jacksonville approach control when over Sunbeam Intersection." The clearance was acknowledged. Flight 642 contacted Jacksonville approach control when over Sunbeam Intersection (16 miles SSE of Imeson Airport) at 0331 and was cleared for an ILS approach to runway 5. At the same time the Jacksonville weather was given as: "Partial obscurement; visibility one-half rule; altimeter 30.18." Immediately following this transmittal another message was given the flight, "Coming out with indefinite 300 obscurement now one-half with fog." (Eastern Air Lines' Constellation minimums for ILS approaches at Jacksonville, day or might are ceiling 200 feet, visibility one-half mile). After acknowledging this weather information, Flight 642 reported leaving. Sunbeam at 2,500 feet. Following a later query from the flight, approach control advised that there was no other known traffic in the area, and requested the flight to report when over the outer marker inbound. Flight 642 reported over the outer marker inbound and was cleared to land. Shortly thereafter the tower controller observed a large flash in the vicinity of the ILS middle marker. Calls to Flight 642 were not acknowledged and an emergency was declared by the controller. It was subsequently learned that N112A had crashed approximately six-tenths of a mile southwest of the threshold of runway 5. Investigation disclosed the main portion of the wreckage to be 212 feet northwest of the ILS middle marker and 3,486 feet southwest of the threshold of runway 5. The time of the accident was established as 0343LT. First impact of the aircraft was with the top of a small pine tree approximately 200 feet below the ILS glide path, 260 feet to the left of the extended centerline of the runway, 4,000 feet from the threshold of runway 5, and 420 feet southwest of the middle marker. This was followed by striking a 50-foot oak tree, the upper 20 feet of which was sheared off. The aircraft settled toward the ground, striking other large trees which disintegrated both wings and a portion of the empennage. Ground contact was on a heading approximately 55 degrees magnetic. The distance from the first tree struck to the farthest piece of wreckage was 801 feet. Explosion and fire occurred immediately upon impact.