Saint Louis

While on a night approach to Alexandria-Municipal Airport in foggy conditions, the twin engine airplane struck trees and crashed. The pilot was killed and the passenger was seriously injured.

While in cruising altitude, the twin engine airplane entered an area of turbulences. The airframe failed in flight, the airplane entered a dive and eventually crashed in a prairie. All five occupants were killed.

While cruising in poor weather conditions (fog and rain), the pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a spin and crashed in a field. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

En route from Detroit to Saint Louis on a night cargo flight, the pilot informed ATC that both engines failed and was vectored to Canton-Plymouth-Mettetal Airport for an emergency landing. Approaching by night and without any terrain in sight, the pilot lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed few miles from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was injured.

On final approach to Bloomington Airport, the pilot lost control of the airplane that nosed down and crashed in flames few hundred yards short of runway threshold. The twin engine aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

During the takeoff roll, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and decided to abandon the take-off. An emergency braking procedure was initiated but unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. While both crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was written off.

The approach to Millington was completed by night and in poor weather conditions. On final, the pilot declared an emergency as an engine failed. As the aircraft was not properly aligned with the runway, the crew elected to make a go around. A second attempt to land was completed in thunderstorm activity when the airplane stalled, hit a pecan tree and crashed in Hill Street, just near some houses. On ground, it lost its right wing and came to rest in flames. All 33 occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Flight 476 of August 4 was a scheduled operation between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and La Guardia Field, New York, with several intermediate stops including Joplin, Springfield, and St. Louis, Missouri. The flight departed Tulsa at 1006 (one minute behind schedule) with Captain Hugh C. Barren, First Officer William G. Gates, and Stewardess Thelma R. Ballard as crew. En route stops were made at Joplin and Springfield, and no discrepancies were reported or noted at either point. However, a traffic delay in the Joplin area resulted in the flight arriving and departing Springfield 21 minutes behind schedule. Two of the eight passengers deplaned at Springfield, 21 passengers boarded the flight there. Gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff was 38,663 pounds, 2,302 pounds under that allowable, and the center of gravity was located within prescribed limits. Flight 476 departed Springfield VFR for St. Louis, its next scheduled stop, at 1153 via Victor Airway 14 to cruise at 7,000 feet. It was off the ground at 1156. Twenty-one minutes later (1217) the crew initiated a general call asking, "Does anyone read 476?" Springfield company radio acknowledged but received no reply. Two other American Airlines flights, one cruising in the vicinity of Springfield at 7,000 feet, the other 30 miles north-northeast of St. Louis, heard a transmission from Flight 476 that No. 2 engine was on fire. This message was also heard by American's ground station at St. Louis. Three minutes later the American flight in the Springfield area intercepted the following message, "Springfield, are you reading 476? We have bad engine fire." This was the last message heard from the flight. All transmissions were on company frequency. During this interval numerous witnesses on the ground back along the flight path saw the aircraft with smoke and flame coming from the right engine. The aircraft was also tracked by a military radar installation near Springfield until it disappeared from the scope in the vicinity of Fort Leonard Wood. At approximately 1222 the operations officer on duty at Forney Field, Fort Leonard Wood, received a radio message from an Army pilot flying nearby that a two-engine aircraft with a fire in the right engine was on final approach to runway 14. The tower operator at Forney Field saw the approaching aircraft and gave it clearance to land. Before the operations officer could alert the crash crew another call from the Army pilot informed him that the airplane had crashed short of the runway. The time was 1223. Army personnel with portable fire-fighting equipment reached the wreckage on foot. There were no survivors. Heavy fire-fighting equipment and ambulances could not reach the scene until the Army engineers had bulldozed a road through the densely wooded area in which the crash occurred.

American 711 reported en route to the company that it was over Vichy (a position along Victor Airway 14 about 100 miles from Springfield) and estimated it would reach the Springfield VOR station at 2233. Initial radio contact with Springfield Approach Control was established at 2218 and the flight gave it the same Springfield estimate. The approach controller transmitted the 2208 weather observation to the flight. Reported conditions were: Ceiling 400 feet overcast; visibility 10 miles; wind west 12; altimeter 29.68. In response to the controller’s question the flight then indicated it intended to land at Springfield. Immediately thereafter clearance was issued for a standard range approach, instructing flight 711 to report over the range station and when starting the procedure turn. Shortly thereafter the flight asked clearance to descend. There being no other traffic the controller cleared the flight for an approach and to descend whenever it wished. At 2229 the latest weather observation for the airport, completed at 2228, was transmitted to the flight. Conditions given were: Ceiling 500 feet overcast; visibility 8 miles, very light drizzle; wind west 10. The flight informed the controller it would make a circling approach to runway 31, the active runway. At 2234 the flight reported, “American 711, over the Omni at 34, proceeding to the field.” Approximately two minutes later an explosion was seen and heard north-northwest of the airport and attempts to contact the flight thereafter failed. The aircraft crashed about 0,25 miles short of runway 31 and was destroyed. Both pilots and 11 passengers were killed. A weather observation immediately following the accident was: Ceiling 500 feet overcast; visibility 5 miles, very light drizzle; wind northwest 8; altimeter 29.66.

While taxiing to Runway 23 the flight received an IFR (Instrument Plight Rules) clearance from ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control). Normal pre-takeoff checks were performed and the takeoff roll was started at 1640. The aircraft became airborne after using approximately one-half of the 5.630-foot runway. Immediately after leaving the ground the gear was raised and the first officer saw the left feathering button light come on dimly which indicated that the left propeller was in the process of being feathered by the auto-feathering system. After definitely determining the light was on and visually checking the left propeller, the auto-feathering system was disarmed and the captain., in an effort to stop the feathering cycle, pulled the feathering button to neutral. This effort was unsuccessful. the left propeller feathered, and the engine stopped. During the climb an air speed of 140 m.p.h. was reached and maintained., the right engine remaining at full takeoff power. Approximately 250 feet above the ground a shallow left turn was started and the first officer was ordered to reinstate the left engine. the captain believing the aircraft would climb no farther. In the effort to restart the left engine by unfeathering the left propeller. only 600 r.p.m. could be obtained and the captain felt a buffeting through the control yoke. The aircraft at this time had progressed in the left turn approximately 180 degrees from the takeoff direction and the captain. fearing he would be unable to clear obstructions. Including high tension lines, decided to make a wheels-up landing. The landing was made in a field approximately one mile south of the airport. When the aircraft stopped, the passengers and crew evacuated it in an expeditious and orderly manner. The airplane was damaged beyond repair.