Bellefonte

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

New York – Bellefonte – Cleveland

MSN:

1057

YOM:

1929

Location:

Mt Nittany

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, departed New York on a mail flight to Cleveland. While approaching Bellefonte from the east at night, he encountered icing conditions. The airplane lost height and descended until it impacted the slope of Mt Nittany located about 5 km southeast of Tylersville. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Crash of a Douglas M-3 in Chagrin Falls: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1929

Type of aircraft:

Douglas M-3

Operator:

Registration:

NC789

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bellefonte – Cleveland

MSN:

622

Location:

Chagrin Falls

Ohio

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

En route from Bellefonte to Cleveland, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a snow covered field located in an uninhabited area close to Chagrin Falls. The wreckage was found four days later. The pilot Thomas P. Nelson, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a Douglas M-4 in Rattlesnake Hill

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1929

Type of aircraft:

Douglas M-4

Operator:

Registration:

NC1646

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bellefonte – Cleveland

MSN:

304

Location:

Rattlesnake Hill

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Bellefonte to Cleveland, while flying in poor weather conditions, the aircraft lost height and descended until it struck the slope of Rattlesnake Hill. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was slightly injured.

Probable cause:

Loss of control caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on the airplane.

Crash of a Douglas M-3 off Sunbury

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1926 at 0155 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas M-3

Operator:

Registration:

621

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

New Brunswick – Bellefonte

Location:

Sunbury

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from New Brunswick to Bellefonte, while on a night mail flight, the pilot got lost due to poor visibility caused by foggy conditions. While attempting an emergency landing, the aircraft hit a tree and crashed in the Susquehanna River off Sunbury. The pilot was rescued and the aircraft was lost.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B on Mt Nittany: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1925

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

385

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

New Brunswick – Bellefonte

Location:

Mt Nittany

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot Charles H. Ames was performing a mail flight from New Brunswick to Bellefonte. Enroute, he encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility due to fog. While trying to establish a visual contact with the ground, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed in a wooded area located on Mt Nittany. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Bellefonte, SAR operations were initiated and more than 1,000 people took part to these operations. Ten days later, on October 11, a boy aged 15 found the wreckage and the dead body in a dense wooded area.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Grampian: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1924

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

327

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bellefonte – Cleveland

Location:

Grampian

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

En route from Bellefonte to Cleveland, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls. He reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the aircraft impacted trees and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Meadville: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1923

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

291

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bellefonte – Cleveland

Location:

Meadville

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

En route from Bellefonte to Cleveland, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. He reduced his altitude to maintain a visual contact with the ground when the airplane impacted a barbed wire fence and crashed, coming to rest upside down. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4M off Millersburg: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1920

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

31679

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hazlehurst – Bellefonte

Location:

Millersburg

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

En route from Hazlehurst to Bellefonte, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. He reduced his altitude to maintain a visual contact with the ground when the aircraft collided with power cables and crashed in the Susquehanna River off Millersburg. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot F. A. Robinson was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B in Gorton

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1920 at 1020 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bellefonte – Cleveland

Location:

Gorton

Country:

Region: