Jacksonville

Shortly after takeoff from Jacksonville-Intl Airport, while in initial climb, the right engine failed. The crew failed to feather the propeller and the airplane went out of control and crashed. A passenger was seriously injured while all five other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces.

While in cruising altitude on a flight from Tulsa to Jacksonville, both engines failed simultaneously. The pilot informed ATC about the situation and he reduced his altitude to attempt an emergency landing. The twin engine airplane struck trees then crashed near Midway. Both occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

On a leg from Jacksonville to Miami, the crew encountered technical problems and decided to divert to Orlando-Herndon Airport. While on a night approach, the airplane became uncontrollable and crashed onto a house located short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were killed while no one on the ground was injured.

Shortly after takeoff from runway 06 at Gainesville Airport, while climbing to a height of 200 feet, the twin engine aircraft adopted a nose up attitude then stalled and crashed in a huge explosion about 80 feet past the runway end. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 10 occupants were killed.

The crew was completing a training mission from Jacksonville, Florida. While flying in the vicinity of the Glynco NAS (now Brunswick), the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a field. Six crew members were killed while four others were injured.

A Lockheed Lodestar 18, registered N45W and owned by Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc, departed Montgomery-Dannelly Field, Alabama, at approximately 07:06 on company business flight to Jacksonville, Florida. En route altitude was 8,000 feet. A Lockheed T-33A-1-LO Shooting Star US Air Force jet trainer, serial 51-4532, departed Moody AFB at approximately 07:13 on a local IFR training flight. The T-33 climbed to 20,000 feet following takeoff from Moody and proceeded to the Tallahassee VOR where it was cleared by Tallahassee Approach Control for penetration and an ILS approach to runway 36 at Tallahassee Airport. While under Tallahassee Approach Control, two ILS approaches were completed followed by two ILS missed approaches. After the second ILS missed approach, the flight was cleared at approximately 07:50 by Tallahassee Approach Control, "...from present position direct to the Tallahassee OMNI, maintain 3,000, anticipate routing Victor 22, Greenville, direct to Valdosta OMNI." After that the T-33 reported VFR on top at 4000 feet. The crew continued VFR and requested a climb to 20.000 feet, direct to Valdosta, which was approved. The two aircraft collided in midair at approximately 8,000 feet altitude, approximately 4.3 miles northwest of the Tallahassee VOR Station. The T-33 climbed up into the Lodestar. The Lodestar's right propeller cut through the forward end of the T-33 right tip tank. The Lodestar's fuselage lower surface scrubbed across the T-33's right wing upper surface just inboard of that tip tank at an angle of 14 degrees leftward from the T-33's longitudinal axis. The various impacts on the T-33's right wing caused it to yaw to the right, with the result that its tail assembly ripped through the Lodestar's left wing at a greater angle than that of initial impact. The Lodestar's left wing was severed from trailing edge to leading edge at this time. The impact severed the T-33's tail assembly causing loss of control. The T-33 entered an inverted flat spin in which it remained until contact with the ground. Both crew members of the T-33 ejected safely. The Lodestar crashed, killing all four on board.

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.

While in cruising altitude, the aircraft suddenly pitched down, went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a cornfield located near Hollywood. The aircraft was destroyed and both crewmen were killed.

En route from Jacksonville NAS to Argentia in Newfoundland, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the captain decided to divert to Quonset Point NAS for a safe landing. But on final approach, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames few miles short of runway threshold. Three crew members were rescued while nine others were killed.