Chicago

While flying off Chicago, the twin engine aircraft owned by E. H. Litchfield went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances into Lake Michigan. Five bodies were found while one was missing. The wreckage was not found.

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Los Angeles to Chicago. While cruising at the assigned altitude of 13,000 by night, the four engine airplane struck the south face of California Peak (13,849 feet high) located about 21 miles northeast of Alamosa, Colorado. The wreckage was found a day later 150 feet below the summit and all three crew members have been killed.
Crash photo by Mark Hunt, copilot's son.

A United Air Lines, Inc., Boeing 727-22, N7036U, Flight 389 (UAL 389) was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger/cargo flight from LaGuardia Airport, New York to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. The aircraft had arrived at LaGuardia, on the date of the accident, following a trip from Los Angeles, California, with stops at Sacramento, California, Reno, Nevada, Denver, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois. The flight crew of UAL 389 reported for duty at LaGuardia Airport one hour before scheduled departure where they prepared for the flight to Chicago. The stewardesses arrived with the aircraft from Chicago. Persons known to have been in contact with the crew prior to their departure from New York noticed nothing unusual about their behavior or appearance. UAL 389 departed LaGuardia at 1952 on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan at FL 350 and estimated their arrival time at O'Hare to be 2127. The crew reported at FL 350 at 2011.35. At 2102 UAL 389 came under control of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) reporting its altitude as FL 350 and was cleared to the O'Hare Airport via Pullman VORTAC direct to the Northbrook VORTAC, direct O'Hare and to maintain FL 350. This clearance was acknowledged correctly and the crew was advised that radar contact had been established. At 2103 the ARTCC controller cleared UAL 389 to descend to FL 240 and to "start descent now through 31" (FL 310). UAL 389 replied "...down to 240, leaving three five." At 2106 UAL 389 was cleared to continue its descent to 14,000 feet and given an altimeter setting of 29.90 inches for O'Hare. This message was acknowledged immediately and in reply to the controller's inquiry the crew reported they were leaving FL 280 "now." At 2109 the flight was instructed to change frequencies and within the same minute reported out of FL 260 descending to fourteen thousand. This was the last altitude information received from the crew. At 2111 the flight was cleared to descend to 6,000 feet and the clearance was immediately acknowledged correctly. At 2118:35 control of the flight was passed to Chicago Approach Control (ORD). The radar target of UAL 389 was in the vicinity of the Sturgeon Intersection (intersection of the 011 radial of Chicago Heights and 076 radial of Northbrook VORTAC, 28 miles east of Northbrook VORTAC). At 2118:38 the target was observed approximately 2 miles east of the intersection. At 2119:36 the crew contacted ORD and was advised that radar contact had been established. At this time the aircraft target was 2-3 miles west of Sturgeon. UAL 389 was cleared to maintain 6,000 feet and to depart the Northbrook VORTAC on a heading of 240 degrees. The flight was advised that instrument landing system approaches were in progress on runway 14R at O'Hare and that the current O'Hare altimeter setting was 29.93. The pilot read back the altimeter setting incorrectly, the controller corrected him, and the pilot repeated it correctly. This was the last communication received from the flight and ended at 2120:03. The airplane crashed into Lake Michigan and exploded upon impact. All 30 occupants were killed.

On the night of May 22, 1962, a Continental Air Lines Boeing 707-124, N70775, operating as Flight 11 en route from O’Hare Airport, Chicago, Illinois, to Kansas City, Missouri, was flying via Jet Route 26V at an altitude of 39,000 feet. A few minutes after Flight 11 had made a northerly deviation from course to circumnavigate a thunderstorm, in the vicinity of Centerville, Iowa, the radar image of the aircraft disappeared from the scope of the Waverly, Iowa, Flight Following Service. At approximately 2117 an explosion occurred in the right rear lavatory resulting in separation of the tail section from the fuselage. The aircraft broke up and the main part of the fuselage struck the ground about 6 miles north-northwest of Unionville, Missouri. All 37 passengers and crew of 8 sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was totally destroyed.

United Air Lines Flight 718 was regularly scheduled from Los Angeles to Chicago, Illinois. On June 30, 1956, it took off from runway 25L (left) of the Los Angeles International Airport at 0904 (three minutes after TWA 2). Flight 718 was on an IFR flight plan to Chicago via Green Airway 5 Palm Springs inter-section, direct Needles, direct Painted Desert, direct Durango, direct Pueblo, direct St. Joseph. Victor Airway 116 Joliet, Victor Airway 84 Chicago Midway Airport. The flight plan proposed a .JPG"> airspeed of 288 knots., a cruising altitude of 21,000 feet, and a departure time of 0845. The flight crew consisted of Captain Robert F. Shirley, First Officer Robert W. Harms, Flight Engineer Gerard Flore, and Stewardesses Nancy L. Kemnitz and Margaret A. Shoudt. Flight preparations and dispatch of United 718 were routine and the aircraft departed with 3,850 gallons of fuel. The company load manifest showed the gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff to be 105,835 pounds, which was less than the maximum allowable of 114,060 pounds; the latter weight was restricted from a maximum of 122,200 pounds for the aircraft because of a landing limitation at Chicago. The load was properly distributed with respect to the center of gravity limitations of the aircraft. After takeoff the flight contacted the Los Angeles tower radar controller, who vectored it through the overcast over the same departure course as TWA 2. United 718 reported "on top" and changed to Los Angeles Center frequency for its en route clearance. This corresponded to the flight plan as filed; however, the controller specified that the climb to assigned altitude be in VER conditions. Flight 718 made position reports to Aeronautical Radio, Inc., which serves under contract as United company radio. It reported passing over Riverside and later over Palm Springs intersection. The latter report indicated that United 718 was still climbing to 21,000 and estimated it would reach Needles at 1000 and the Painted Desert at 1034. At approximately 0958 United 718 made a position report to the CAA communications station located at Needles. This report stated that the flight was over Needles at 0958, at 21,000 feet, and estimated the Painted Desert at 1031, with Durango next. At 1031 an unidentified radio transmission was heard by Aeronautical Radio communicators at Salt Lake City and San Francisco. They were not able to understand the message when it was received but it was later determined by playing back the recorded transmission that the message was from United 718. Context was interpreted as: "Salt Lake, United 718 . . . ah . . . we're going in."

While cruising by night at an altitude of 5,500 feet in good weather conditions, the engine number three caught fire. The crew feathered the propeller and received the permission to divert to Gage municipal Airport for an emergency landing. Following a normal landing, the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All 82 occupants were able to evacuate safely while the aircraft was totally destroyed by fire.

The aircraft arrived at Cheyenne, Wyoming at 0038, May 22, on a Civil Air Movement flight (military contract) from New York International Airport. The incoming pilots had no mechanical or radio discrepancies to report. After the aircraft was serviced, Captain Bowen F. Marshall and Copilot Samuel B. Aronson relieved the incoming crew for the purpose of ferrying the aircraft to Chicago, at which point, the pilots were to turn it over to another crew. Both pilots visited the U. S. Weather Bureau Airport Station at Cheyenne for weather briefing; all current weather information through 2330 (including three severe weather warnings) was on file and available to them. The aircraft departed Cheyenne at 0132, on an instrument flight plan to O’Hare Airport, Chicago, via Green Airway 3 and Red Airway 42 at 7,000 feet. Neither passengers nor cargo was carried and the center of gravity was within permissible limits. Routine position reports were made over Sidney, North Platte, Grand Island, and Omaha, Nebraska. In the last position report, at 0337, the flight reported to Omaha INSAC (Interstate Airways Communication Station) that it was over Omaha at 7,000 feet, estimating over Des Moines at Ohio. Three minutes later, the pilot again contacted Omaha INSAC and requested a change of altitude to 3,000 feet. Air Route Traffic Control, through Omaha INSAC, advised the flight that the 3,000-foot altitude was unavailable until arrival over Des Moines owing to a westbound flight proceeding at 2,600 feet between Des Moines and Omaha, and the request for descent would have to be disapproved. The flight was given the latest weather information between Omaha and Chicago, and the Des Moines 0327 weather, and there were no further radio contacts after this. Des Moines tower personnel received a telephone call at 0517 notifying them of the crash. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

Air Route Traffic Control (ARTC) cleared Flight 615 on an instrument flight plan from Chicago to Oakland, and from Oakland to San Francisco in accordance with Visual Flight Rules (VFB). Altitude was to be 18,000 feet man sea level (MSL) via Red Airway 4, Creen Airway 3, and Red Airway 6 from Chicago to Denver, direct to Milford, Utah, and thence direct to Oakland. Flight between Oakland and San Francisco was to have been via Green Airway 3 at 500 feet. Routine radio contacts were made en route. At 0354, August 24, while approaching the Oakland area, Flight 615 was cleared to the Newark, California fan marker, with instructions to descend to 6,000 feet, maintain that altitude, and contact Oakland Approach Control over Altamont, California. At 0411, the flight reported over Stockton, California, at 9,500 feet, descending. At this time the flight was given, and acknowledged, the Oakland altimeter setting of 29 88 inches. Flight 615 reported over the Altamont Intersection at 0416, and made initial contact with Oakland Approach Control one-half minute later. Clearance of the flight into Oakland was now vested in Approach Control, and no further radio contacts were made with company communications. The flight was cleared by Approach Control to the Oakland radio range station to maintain at least 500 feet above the tops of the clouds. The pilot followed this contact with a request for clearance direct to Newark and a straight-in range approach. The Newark fan marker and compass locator lie on the southeast leg of the Oakland radio range This request was granted, with instructions to maintain an altitude of 500 feet on top of the cloud layer between Altamont and Newark. At 0422, the flight reported approaching the Hayward, California, compass locator, which is between Newark and Altamont, and requested a second modification to clearance instructions by asking for a straight-in ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach 2. Approach Control advised it to stand by due to another aircraft in the area. Flight 615 shortly thereafter advised Approach Control that it was approaching Newark and to disregard the request for an ILS approach. At 0425 Flight 615 was cleared for a straight-in approach on the southeast course of the Oakland radio range from Newark. At 0427 the flight reported leaving Newark inbound to Oakland. This was the last radio contact. A minute later, the four engine aircraft struck the Tolman peak (985 feet high) located about 14,6 miles southeast of Oakland Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 50 occupants were killed.

The aircraft was chartered to carry 28 US military staff to Chicago. The crew taxied the aircraft to the south end of runway 31, where they parked for a period of 13 minutes to accomplish the before takeoff check list. The engines and other components of the aircraft appeared to operate normally, so at 2058, after receiving clearance from the tower, takeoff was started. Fuel selector valves for both engines had been positioned to the front tanks which contained 91 octane gasoline. Wind was from the northeast at six miles per hour, and visibility was eight miles, under a ceiling of 8,500 feet. Power was advanced to 45 inches of manifold pressure and to 2,700 RPM’s for takeoff. The aircraft rolled approximately 3,500 feet down the runway, then became airborne at an air speed of 105 miles per hour. During the takeoff run one of the engines was heard to sputter and backfire, and an unusual amount of torching or exhaust flame was observed coming from both of the engines. Because the left engine did not seem to be developing full power, Captain Edgerton, at an altitude of about 20 feet, retarded the throttles, and the aircraft settled back to the runway. Runway 31 at Boeing Field is 7,500 feet long. At the time of the accident, the green threshold lights at the north end of the runway had been moved in 1,700 feet for runway had been moved in 1,700 feet for runway repair purposes, in effect reducing the length of the runway to 5,800 feet. However, this north portion of the runway was usable for takeoff. Captain Edgerton after touching down on the runway, approximately 4,500 feet from the start of the takeoff and 1,300 feet from the green threshold lights, did not believe that he had sufficient runway remaining to accomplish a safe stop, so he advanced the throttles to the limit of 52 inches. Both engines responded, but the left continued to misfire. After a momentary ground roll the aircraft again became airborne at an air speed of 105 miles per hour. The landing gear was retracted, air speed increased slowly to approximately 110 miles per hour, and the flight passed over the north end of the runway at about 50 feet above the ground in a nose high attitude. Sufficient altitude could not be obtained to fly over power lines and poles to the north of the airport, and 1,500 feet north of runway 31 the aircraft struck a 56-foot pole two feet below its top. The impact tore away six feet of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. A second pole, 1,480 feet from the first, was struck, then a third pole 200 feet from the second. As a result of striking these poles air speed and altitude were lost, and 200 feet from the third pole the aircraft crashed into a three-story frame house. The aircraft carried away the entire top story of this structure, then it plunged into and demolished a single-story brick dwelling. The aircraft came to rest on the foundation of the brick dwelling in an upright position. Many high tension lines, carrying up to 26,000 volts, had been severed. As a result, there was considerable electrical arcing which started several scattered fires in the vicinity of the accident. Fire was started in the area of the aircraft’s fuel tanks immediately after the aircraft had come to a full stop. The tail section aft of the main cabin door and the nose section forward of the flight deck were separated from the cabin portion of the fuselage. Passengers and crew were evacuated through these open ends of the cabin before fire progressed into the fuselage. Two passengers, Pvt Laurence Furio and Cpl Frank Catioca were killed as well as five people in the houses: Pete Chumos, Frank Morgan, Ralph Parker, Olavi Niemi and Ed Brightcamp.

The twin engine aircraft was performing an executive flight from Chicago to Saint Louis, carrying two members of the board of Fairbanks-Morse & Company and two pilots. En route, the crew encountered technical problems with an engine and reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing. Unfortunately, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in a cornfield located 1 mile west of Roanoke. Both pilots Jack Hadden and Elmer West and the passenger Charles H. Morse III were killed while the second passenger W. E. Watson was injured.