Dallas

On touchdown at Alief-Andrau Airpark, the right main gear collapsed. The airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. The pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

During the takeoff roll at Santa Fe Airport, the airplane failed to gain sufficient speed but the pilot did not abandoned the procedure and continued. After liftoff, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height then stalled and crashed in flames. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

While in cruising altitude, en route from Washington-Dulles Airport to Dallas, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine. Decision was taken to shut down the engine and to feather the propeller. The crew was then cleared to divert to Charleston-Kanawha Airport for an emergency landing. During the final approach, the pilot supervisor interfered verbally in the process and the airplane landed 3,000 feet down the runway 23 which is 5,600 feet long. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran and came to rest in flames on a dirt bank. All seven occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was destroyed.

While cruising at an altitude of 41,000 feet on an executive flight from Dallas to Kansas City, the crew encountered icing conditions when both engines failed almost simultaneously. The crew declared an emergency, started a rapid descent and was cleared to divert to Fayetteville-Drake Airport. On final, the airplane stalled and crashed in a field short of runway. A passenger was killed while seven other occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Braniff Flight 352 departed Houston (HOU) at 16:11 for a flight to Dallas (DAL) and climbed to FL200. Some 25 minutes into the flight, the L-188A Electra was approaching an area of severe thunderstorm activity. The crew requested a descent to FL150 and a deviation to the west. ARTCC then advised the crew that other aircraft were deviating to the east. The Electra crew still thought it looked all right on the west and were cleared to descend to FL140 and deviate to the west. At 16:44 the flight was further cleared to descend to 5000 feet. At 16:47 the aircraft had apparently encountered an area of bad weather, including hail, and requested (and were cleared for) a 180° turn. Subsequent to the initiation of a right turn, the aircraft was upset. During the upset, N9707C rolled to the right to a bank angle in excess of 90° and pitched nose-down to approximately 40 degrees. A roll recovery maneuver was initiated and the aircraft experienced forces of 4,35 g. Part of the right wing failed and the aircraft broke up at an altitude of 6750 feet and crashed in flames a little later. There was no survivor among the 85 occupants.

A Slick Airways Lockheed 1049H, N9740Z, crashed and burned during an ILS approach to runway 28R at the San Francisco International Airport at approximately 1207 P.s.t., February 3, 1963. Due to an inoperative glide slope receiver, the crew was listening radar advisories on the localizer receiver for altitude information. The aircraft struck approach lights 1,170 feet from the runway threshold, climbed to about 200 feet and then crashed approximately 1,900 feet beyond the threshold and on the left edge of runway 28L. Of the three crew members and five passengers aboard, the captain, first officer, and two passengers received fatal injuries. The remaining persons aboard received serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by subsequent fire.

Flight 542 departed the ramp at Houston at 2237LT, 22 minutes behind schedule with a total of 34 persons including a crew of six consisting of Captain Wilson Elza Stone, First Officer Dan Hollowell, Second Officer Roland Longhill, and Stewardesses Alvilyn Harrison, Betty Rusch and Leona Winkler, none of whom survived. The delayed departure was due to a mechanical discrepancy involving No. 3 generator. This generator was inoperative on arrival of N9705C at Houston. Prior to departure from Houston the Nos. 3 and 4 voltage regulators were interchanged. Actual gross weight upon departure was calculated at 83,252 pounds, including 17,000 pounds of fuel, and was 16,548 pounds less than the authorized gross weight of 99,800 pounds. The estimated time en route to Dallas was 41 minutes. The flight was given an instrument-flight-rules clearance which was to the Leona omni, via Victor Airway 13 west to the Gulf Coast intersection, direct to Leona, to maintain 2,300 feet altitude to Gulf Coast, then to climb to and maintain 9,000. At approximately 2240 the flight was cleared for takeoff and at 2242 it reported ready for takeoff and was airborne at 2244. After takeoff Houston departure control advised that it had the flight in radar contact and requested it to report when established outbound on the 345-degree radial of the Houston omni. Flight 542 complied and subsequently was cleared to 9,000 feet and advised to contact San Antonio Center on 121.1 mcs. upon passing the Gulf Coast intersection. Flight 542 reported to company radio at 2251 as blocking out of Houston at 37, taking off at 42, to cruise at 15,000 feet when so cleared, estimating Dallas at 2325, and that the Center had this information. At approximately 2252 Flight 542 reported to San Antonio Center as being over Gulf Coast intersection at 9,000 feet. The flight was then issued its destination clearance to the Dallas Airport via direct to Leona, direct to Trinidad, direct to Forney, direct to Dallas, to maintain 15,000 feet. The flight was cleared to climb to its cruising altitude. The next transmission from Flight 542 was to the San Antonio, Center, giving the time over Leona as 05 at 15,000. San Antonio Center acknowledged, and requested Flight 542 to change over and monitor the Fort Worth frequency of 120.8 mcs. at this time. The flight acknowledged. Shortly thereafter Flight 542 contacted company radio with a message for maintenance, advising that the generators were then OK out that there had been insufficient time for maintenance to insulate the terminal strip on No. 3 propeller at Houston and it would like to have it done in Dallas. At this time the flight also said it would give the communication center a Dallas estimate of 25. This was then followed by one other item for maintenance, which was that No. 3 sump pump was inoperative. This was the final transmission from the flight and was logged as completed at 2307. Structural failure of the aircraft occurred at approximately 2309 on course to the next fix, Trinidad intersection. The radial from Leona omni to Trinidad intersection is 344 degrees. The main wreckage was located 19.7 miles 2 north of Leona omni, 3.19 miles east-southeast of Buffalo, Texas. The time, 2309, correlates closely with the information obtained from witnesses to the accident as well as the time indicated on impact-stopped watches recovered at the scene. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 34 occupants were killed.

Flight 318 departed Dallas, Texas, on a VFR Flight Plan at 1310, on time, for Atlanta, Georgia, with a scheduled stop at Shreveport, Louisiana. The crew consisted of Captain Douglas B. yolk, First Officer James P. Stewart and Stewardess Joanne Carlson; there were 17 passengers including one infant. The aircraft’s gross weight on departure from Dallas was 24,099 pounds, which was within the allowable weight of 25,200 pounds, and the center of gravity was within the prescribed limits. Flight 318 proceeded normally and at 1352 reported to the company station at Longview, Texas, that it was then west of Gladewater, Texas. Longview gave the flight the latest Shreveport weather which was dark scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, ceiling estimated 4,000 feet broken clouds, overcast at 20,000 feet, visibility 10 miles, thunderstorms, light rain showers, wind south 10. Remarks were thunderstorms south, occasional lightning cloud to cloud south. The flight was also advised by the company’s Longview operator that he had been watching thunderstorms east and southeast of the Longview field and suggested that the flight stay well to the north. Flight 318 answered “OK.” At 1408, in the vicinity of Marshall, Texas, the flight made a routine radio contact with Delta’s Shreveport station, during which it was given the Shreveport altimeter setting of 29.78. At this time the flight advised it was changing over to the Shreveport Control Tower frequency. At about 1412, four minutes later, Flight 318 called the Shreveport Control Tower, which cleared it to make a right-hard turn for landing approach to Runway 13 and gave the wind as southeast 10 miles per hour, Flight 318 acknowledged this message and requested the Shreveport weather which was transmitted as dark scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, ceiling estimated 4,000 feet, overcast at 20,000 feet, visibility 10 miles, thunderstorm, light rain shower. The tower also advised of a thunderstorm approximately 15 miles west of Shreveport. This transmission also was acknowledged by the flight. At 1416 the Shreveport Control Tower asked Flight 318 to give a position report. No reply was received, and a number of unsuccessful attempts were then made to contact the flight. At 1428 the tower was advised that an aircraft had crashed near Marshall, Texas. A passenger was seriously injured while 19 other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.

On approach to Jackson Airport, at a height of 3,000 feet, the aircraft was hit by lightning. The captain was unable to maintain the control of the aircraft that crashed in flames in a wooded area located near Oakridge Drive. A passenger survived while 17 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Henry G. Beasley,
Pvt Clifford W. Canady,
Pvt Joe Capes Jr.,
1st Lt Edward Carnot,
Pfc Betty J. Coleman,
2nd Lt John N. Ferrier,
2nd Lt Donald E. Hiller,
Pvt Charles H . Hines,
1st Lt Elmer F. Irwin Jr.,
2nd Lt Robert A. Petty,
1st Lt Harry L. Provasco,
S/Sgt William Richards,
Cpl Willard O. Rogers,
Cpt William R. Ross.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Crew fate unknown as well.