Zone
Kansas

Crash of a Consolidated C-87-CF Liberator Express in Merriam: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express
Operator:
Registration:
43-30565
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Lincoln - Lincoln
MSN:
45
Location:
Kansas City
Kansas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training flight from Lincoln and the mission consisted in a test of the embarked compass system. While flying in the region of Kansas City, the crew encountered technical problems with the compass and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft hit tree tops, electric and telephone cables before crashing onto a house located in Merriam, in the suburb of Kansas City. Three crew members were killed while three others were injured. Four people on the ground were injured as well.
Probable cause:
Compass failure in flight.

Crash of a Martin B-26C Marauder near Falkville: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1944 at 1420 LT
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
41-35142
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Falkville
Alabama
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
En route, while cruising in a stormy weather, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field. All eight crew were killed. According to eye-witnesses, the accident occurred while the airplane was flying into adverse weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulence.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-209A near Kansas City

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1942 at 1149 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC18951
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kansas City - Kansas City
MSN:
2015
YOM:
1937
Location:
Kansas City
Kansas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
4488
Captain / Total hours on type:
2888.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1500
Copilot / Total hours on type:
700
Circumstances:
A mid-air collision involving aircraft of United States registry, a Douglas DC3, NC18951, and a US Army aircraft, type C-53, registered 41-20116, occurred at an altitude of between 3,500 and 3,900 feet about 4 1/4 miles northeast of the Kansas City Range Station and 1 3/4 miles north of the on course of the northeast leg of the Kansas City Radio Range. At the time of the accident, NC18951 was operating on a check flight in the vicinity of the Kansas City Municipal Airport as a part of the routine instrument flight instruction of Transcontinental & Western Air. The C-53 was on a non-stop cross-country flight from Indianapolis to Wichita via Kansas City, in the service of the US Army Air Forces. The DC-3 received major damage from the collision in the air and was demolished by the resultant crash landing in a group of small trees in the vicinity of Linden, Kansas. The C-53 received major damage as a result of the collision but succeeded in landing at the Kansas City Municipal Airport without further damage. The DC-3 captain sustained minor injuries. None of the 5 other persons involved was injured.
Probable cause:
Error of judgment of the Kansas City Air Traffic Control operator in clearing the TWA DC-3 to climb into the overcast, within the limits of a civil airway, when he had knowledge of the expected arrival, in the immediate vicinity, of the Army C-53.
Final Report:

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator near Cimarron: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-1133
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kirtland - Kansas City
MSN:
73
YOM:
1941
Location:
Cimarron
New Mexico
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew left Kirtland AFB (Albuquerque) on a training mission to Kansas City. En route, while approaching a mountainous area, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with strong winds and turbulence. The heavy bomber went out of control, lost height and crashed on the wooded slope of Trail Peak, in the Philmont National Reserve, some 20 miles southwest of Cimarron. All nine occupants, among them pilot Robert Redding, were killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident was not clearly determined but it is suspected that the loss of control was caused by microburst.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3B-202 in Saint Louis: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1941 at 0413 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC17315
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Los Angeles – Phoenix – El Paso – Amarillo – Kansas City – Saint Louis – Indianapolis – Pittsburgh – New York
MSN:
1930
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
TW006
Location:
Saint Louis-Lambert
Missouri
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
9711
Captain / Total hours on type:
2338.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1505
Copilot / Total hours on type:
129
Circumstances:
On final approach, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog and light snow. As the crew missed the runway 01, the captain initiated a go around procedure and applied full power on both engines. After crossing runway 01 for few dozen yards, the captain initiated a turn at low height to join runway 04. Doing so, one of the wing impacted trees and the airplane crashed in a wooded area near the airport. A crew member and one passenger were killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
P. T. W. Scott, pilot,
O. J. DioGuardi, copilot,
Mary T. Eshbach, stewardess.
Probable cause:
Upon the basis of the foregoing findings and the entire record available to the investigators at this time, they find that the probable cause of the accident was the action of the pilot in attempting a landing under adverse weather conditions in disregard of the minimums prescribed by the Civil Aeronautics Administration and in maneuvering for such landing at a dangerously low altitude.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-194B on Mt Baldy: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1937 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
PH-ALP
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Long Beach - Phoenix - Kansas City - New York
MSN:
1938
YOM:
1937
Location:
Mt Baldy
Arizona
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on a delivery flight to the Dutch National Company based in Amsterdam and should be flown from Long Beach to New York with intermediate stops in Phoenix and Kansas City. While cruising in poor weather conditions on the leg from Phoenix to Kansas City, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Baldy located some 32 km northwest from McNary. The wreckage was found three days later. All eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Glen C. Moser, pilot,
J. Wolford, copilot.
Passengers:
B. B. Bruderlin,
L. Estey,
M. Estey,
R. Kent,
E. R. Moser,
B. Troyt.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-112 in Atlanta: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 6, 1935 at 0330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
NC13785
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Los Angeles – Albuquerque – Kansas City – New York
MSN:
1295
YOM:
1934
Flight number:
TW006
Location:
Atlanta
Missouri
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising 10 km west from Macon, Missouri, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was unable to contact the base in Kansas City. In low visibility due to fog, the crew was unable to fix his position and attempted to make an emergency landing in an open field. The aircraft impacted ground and crashed. Both pilots and three passengers were killed, among them Bronson M. Cutting, Senator of New Mexico.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable direct cause of this accident was an unintentional collision with the ground while the airplane was being maneuvered at a very low altitude in fog and darkness. The probable contributory causes of this accident were:
- A forecast by the United States Weather Bureau which did not predict the hazardous weather that developed during the latter part of the forecast period.
- Improper clearance of the airplane from Albuquerque by the company's ground personnel because of their knowledge that the plane's two-way radio was not functioning on the Western night frequency.
- Improper control by the company's ground personnel at Albuquerque for not calling the airplane back or ordering it to stop at an intermediate point when it was found that two-way radio communication could not be established.
- Error on the part of the pilot for proceeding in the flight after discovering that he was unable to effectively communicate with the ground.
- Failure of the company's ground personnel at Kansas City to expeditiously redispatch the airplane to a field where better weather existed when it became apparent that the ceiling at Kansas City was dropping to and below the authorized minimum for landing and while the airplane still had sufficient fuel to meet the Department of Commerce requirement of 45-minute fuel reserve after effecting a landing.

Crash of a Lockheed 5B Vega in Columbia: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1934 at 0520 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 5 Vega
Operator:
Registration:
NC106W
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kansas City – Chicago
MSN:
123
YOM:
1930
Location:
Columbia
Missouri
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was performing a night mail flight from Kansas City to Chicago. While approaching Columbia, he encountered icing conditions and decided to make an emergency landing. The airplane went out of control and crashed in a open field near a road. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was unexpected icing conditions which made proper handling of the aircraft impossible.

Crash of a Stinson SM-6000 in Amazonia: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1934 at 2342 LT
Type of aircraft:
Stinson SM-6000
Operator:
Registration:
NC10809
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Omaha – Kansas City
MSN:
5031
YOM:
1931
Location:
Amazonia
Missouri
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While flying at night in marginal weather conditions, the pilot did not realize he was too low. The airplane impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area located near Amazonia, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot committed an error in judgment in turning too close to the ground in a fog-bound area. Weather reporting facilities of the Company were inadequate to meet the conditions that confronted the pilot in this flight.

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