New Orleans

On final approach to Alief-Andrau Airpark while conducting a flight from New Orleans to Brownsville, the pilot decided to initiate a go-around manoeuvre. He retracted the landing gear when the airplane stalled and struck the runway surface. It skidded off the end of runway and came to rest. Both occupants were injured, the pilot seriously, and the aircraft was written off.

After passing New Orleans (the destination Airport) by night, the airplane continued to the southeast for 375 miles when both engines stopped. The airplane entered a dive and crashed near Alapaha. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

While approaching Pine Bluff-Grider Field by night, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog and low clouds. Decision was taken to initiate a go-around. Few minutes later, while on a second approach, the twin engine airplane descended too low, struck trees and crashed in flames in a wooded area located few miles from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Gulfport-Biloxi Airport, while in initial climb, the right engine failed. The copilot informed ATC about his situation and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the airplane stalled and crashed in Long Beach, southeast of the airport. A pilot and a passenger were killed while 10 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Weather at New Orleans was below landing minima, so the flight was diverted to Baton Rouge. Weather at Baton Rouge was a ceiling 300 feet overcast, visibility 1,5 miles in light rain and fog, wind 360deg/5 knots. Runway 13 ILS minima were 300 feet ceiling and 3/4 mile visibility, weather was below circling minima. However, the approach was continued and the plane touched down fast 2,500 feet past the runway threshold. Approaching the end of the runway, the pilot attempted to ground loop, but the plane just turned 20° and slid off the runway. Both pilots were evacuates while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The flight, scheduled from Mexico City to New York City, with several intermediate stops, had just departed New Orleans at 0200. Three minutes later the captain acknowledged a request to change radio frequencies, but no further communications were received from the flight At 0205-40 the radar target associated with Flight 304 had disappeared from the scopes of both the radar controllers who were observing the flight. Moderate to severe turbulence existed in the area at the time of the accident. At 0159 46 the local controller in the tower observed Flight 304 commence the takeoff. The lift-off appeared normal, and at approximately 0201 he advised the flight to contact Departure Control, which was acknowledged. He estimated that the flight was two or three miles north of the airport when the lights disappeared into the overcast Voice communication and radar contact were established immediately between the flight and the departure controller who advised them to" . . turn right heading 030, be a vector north of J-37 (the planned route of flight)" While the flight continued on this vector, the departure controller contacted the New Orleans Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) The radar target was identified five miles north of the New Orleans VORTAC, and a radar handoff was effected at 0202 38. Flight 304 was instructed to "contact New Orleans Center radar, frequency 123.6 now." At 0203 15 the crew replied, "OK". This was the last transmission from the flight. At 0205 40, when no transmissions had been received from the flight, the center controller contacted the departure controller to verify that proper instructions had been given. During this conversation both controllers confirmed that the radar target associated with the flight had disappeared from both scopes, and emergency procedures were initiated shortly thereafter. The last position noted by the controllers was approximately eight miles from the New Orleans VORTAC on the 030-degree radial. The aircraft crashed at 14.5 miles on the 034-degree radial, in Lake Pontchartrain. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 58 occupants have been killed.

While cruising at an altitude of 14,000 feet by night and approaching the Louisiana Coast, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico about 30 miles east of Pilottown. Intensive sea and air searches resulted in finding nine floating bodies and a small amount of floating debris the following morning. None of this disclosed conclusive evidence as to the genesis of the accident. The main wreckage has not been located despite several well planned searches. There was no radio message of impending trouble or any distress call from the crew prior to the accident. All 42 occupants were killed in the crash.

Flight 470 departed Tampa at 1543LT. Its flight plan, filed previously at Miami, specified a cruising altitude of 14,500 feet according to Instrument Flight Rules and an estimated elapsed tune of two hours for the direct 498 statute miles to New Orleans. Included among the weather data attached to the captain's copy of the flight plan was a forecast of thunder-storms attended by moderate to severe turbulence in the vicinity of New Orleans, the destination. The CAA Air Route Traffic Control cleared the flight at the 14,500-foot level direct to New Orleans. Flight 470 passed over NA-3 at its cruising altitude of 14,500 feet at 1614, estimating over NA-2 at 1642, and so reported to Radio-Tampa one minute later. At that time the flight also gave the local weather: broken clouds at 6,000 feet, broken clouds at 20,000 feet and temperature 4 degrees Centigrade. Meanwhile, Flight 917 landed at New Orleans at 1612. It reached the ramp at 1617 and at 1624, its captain sent the following message to Miami flight Control and to all company stations between New Orleans and Jacksonville, Florida, including Pensacola, Florida: "Flight 917 advises extreme turbulence all altitudes just east of New Orleans." At 1636, the captain sent the following message to the same stations: "Reference extreme conditions stop at present time severe turbulence No. 1. check (NA-1) to New Orleans weather looks better to west of New Orleans." At 1649, Flight 470 reported passing over NA-2 at 1645 at 14,500 feet, and estimated being over NA-l at 1710. It also reported, "Thunderstorms all quadrants . . ." Pensacola radio received and acknowledged this message, and advised the flight of "severe turbulence" between NA-l and New Orleans as reported by Flight 917. Flight 470 acknowledged, asked what altitude Flight 917 reported turbulence, and was informed "severe turbulence at all altitudes." Again Flight 470 acknowledged. At 1654, the flight advised Pensacola that it was reducing power because of turbulence and five minutes later requested Air Route Traffic Control clearance to descend from 14,500 feet to 4,500 feet. This was granted within a minute or so, with the provision that descent between 10,000 feet and 8,000 feet be visual. At 1703, the Flight advised Pensacola of passing through 10,000 feet, and at 1712 (recorded), advised that it had reached 4,500 feet at 1710. Pensacola repeated this message back to the flight and gave it the 1648 New Orleans special weather. This was: measured 800, overcast, visibility 10 miles, wind north-northeast 25 m.p.h., with gusts to 34, the altimeter 29.61; barometer unsteady. The flight acknowledged and there were no further radio contacts. An attempt by New Orleans at 1718 to contact Flight 470 was unsuccessful, as were subsequent attempts by several other stations, and at 1840 the Coast Guard's air-sea rescue service was alerted. Low clouds and heavy seas hampered the search both by air and sea. However, on the following day (February 15) floating debris and 17 bodies were recovered from a fairly localized area in the Gulf of Mexico at about 30 degrees 38' North Latitude and 87 degrees 46' West Longitude. This position is approximately 38 miles to the right of the aircraft's direct course and is about 20 miles southeast of Mobile Point at the easterly mouth of Mobile Bay. Two wrist watches on bodies were impact stopped at 1710LT.

While on a night training flight from Keesler AFB, Mississippi, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Lake Pontchartrain, about five miles northeast of New Orleans. All eight crew members were killed.

The aircraft was performing a cargo flight from New Orleans to Quito with a load of cattle on board. En route, the crew encountered technical problems and decided to divert to Cozumel for an emergency landing. Unfortunately, the crew did not make it and the aircraft crashed into a lagoon, killing all eight occupants. The registration is unconfirmed.