Tulsa

Flight 327 was scheduled between Providence, Rhode Island, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, with intermediate stops including Chicago, Illinois; and St. Louis, Springfield, and Joplin, Missouri. The flight to Chicago was routine; however, the crew, when securing the cockpit, observed that the fire-warning light for the forward cargo and electrical accessory compartments flickered. This was called to the attention of both the ground crew and the relieving crew (a routine crew change was made) and was written in the aircraft log. Because of necessary repairs to the fire-warning system the flight was delayed 1 hour, 40 minutes and it departed Chicago at 1950. The new crew consisted of Captain Wesley G. Mims, First Officer Paul H. Johnson, and Stewardess Shirley D. Walker. Flight 327 was routine to Joplin and it departed there at 2323 with seven passengers aboard. Leaving Joplin the aircraft weighed 35,940 pounds, which was well under the allowable gross takeoff weight; the load was properly distributed. The flight was cleared by ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) to the Owasso “H” facility, 2 via airway V-88, to maintain 4,000 feet, and to contact Tulsa approach control on crossing the south course of Chanute low frequency range for further clearance. At approximately 2333, 10 minutes after takeoff from Joplin, ARTC, through the company radio, advised the flight to climb to 4,500 feet, to maintain 4,500 feet, and to report leaving 4,000. This transmission was acknowledged and flight 327 reported leaving 4,000 feet at 2334. Approximately 10 minutes later company radio at Tulsa gave the flight the Tulsa 2328 weather sequence. The company then gave the flight the local altimeter setting as 30.15 and field pressure as 460 feet above zero. This was acknowledged and flight 327 reported it was changing over to Tulsa approach control frequency. At 2347 the flight reported crossing the south leg of Chanute low frequency range and was immediately cleared by approach control direct to Owasso, to descend to and maintain 3,500 feet, and to report when over Owasso. The 2328 Tulsa weather was given the flight as: Measured ceiling 600 feet, overcast; visibility 2-1/2 miles; very light drizzle and fog; wind calm. Liter, the flight reported it was 1-1/2 minutes from Owasso and asked if any delay was expected. Approach control advised no delay was expected since the only local traffic was then making an ILS (Instrument Landing System) approach. Shortly thereafter approach control advised flight 327 that the visibility was then 1-3/4 miles, that the U.S. Weather Bureau was checking the ceiling, and asked if an Owasso approach straight in to runway 17 was to be mad or if an ILS approach was preferred. The flight advised it would make the Owasso approach and at 2357 was cleared accordingly. It was asked to report when over the Owasso facility inbound. At 2400 flight 327 reported over Owasso, inbound, and was cleared to land on runway 17L. Two minutes later a special 2355 weather observation was transmitted to the flight as: Measured 200, overcast; visibility 1-3/4; very light drizzle and fog. This transmission was not acknowledged and nothing further was heard from the flight. Repeated efforts by approach control and other facilities to contact the flight were unsuccessful.

Pilot Gordon Whewell Silva and Copilot-Flight Mechanic Lloyd Littleton Cotton, on December 28, prepared N 33366 (hereinafter referred to as N 366) for a nonstop flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After a study of the weather data Pilot Silva filed an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan which called for a proposed departure at 0800 c. s. t. for Pittsburgh via Victor Airways 14, 72, and 12, with an estimated elapsed time of tour hours. It also showed fuel for 6:15 hours, an en route altitude of 9,000 feet, destination Pittsburgh, and alternate Wheeling, West Virginia. The flight departed Tulsa at 1810 c. s. t. and routine position reports were made until over Dayton, Ohio, at 1200. Starting with the Dayton position report in which the first mention of icing conditions was made, all of the entries in CAA station logs recording communications with N 366 are transcribed as follows: "N366 over Dayton 1200E 9,000 feet estimate over Columbus 1218E Adamsville (will make next report from Adamsville.) Request lower altitude light to moderate rime icing." This message was delivered at 1203 to the Indianapolis center who replied, "ATC advises unable approve lower altitude." This reply was delivered to N 366 at 1204. At 1221 CAA Columbus recorded the following from N 366, "Over Columbus 1220, 9,000 m. s. l. estimate over Adamsville 33 HLG (will make next report via Wheeling). Destination Pittsburgh requesting 5,000 feet m. s. l." At 1224 the following was transmitted to N 366 by Columbus, "ATC unable to approve 5,000 feet m. s. l. or 7,000 feet m. s. l." At 1227 Columbus received from N 366, "Rime ice request lower altitude an soon as possible." And at 1234 N 366 advised Columbus, "Over Adamsville 1233 9,000 feet m. s. l. Adena 47." The pilot was questioned about the Adena estimate and changed it to "Wheeling" (as next reporting point). Also in this communication he reported, "Difficulty maintaining altitude and airspeed request lower altitude." At 1237 Columbus CAA transmitted, "Clearance to descend and maintain 8,000 m. s. l." and the pilot replied, "Leaving 9,000 m. s. l. at 1237E". All further attempts to communicate with N 366 were unsuccessful. At approximately 1240 witnesses observed the aircraft below the overcast; it was on a westerly heading and was descending although it appeared to be in a normal attitude. Several components were seen to separate from the aircraft before it struck the ground. Both occupants were killed.

The aircraft departed Bridgeport, Connecticut, for California at 1245LT carrying two crew members. Two stops were then made at White Plains,N. Y. and at LaGuardia Field where 2 passengers boarded the aircraft. At 1346 the flight left La Guardia for Tulsa, Oklahoma, under Visual Flight Rules and no flight plan was filed. At Tulsa the aircraft was refueled with 906 gallons of gasoline which filled to capacity both main tanks, the nose tank and the rear fuselage tank. After the pilots were briefed by the Tulsa U.S. Weather Bureau Office, an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan was filed with the Air Route Traffic Centre. At 2114LT Oklahoma City Airway Communications Station received a call from the flight on 126.7 mcs requesting cancellation of the IFR flight plan and asking for a landing clearance at Oklahoma City. The flight was given the special 2100LT weather as 10,000 feet overcast, sky partially obscured, fog. visibility 1-1/2 miles, and was advised to contact RAPCON (Radar Approach Control) on 119.3 mcs for a clearance to land as IFR conditions prevailed. The crew advised that it desired clearance for Will Rogers Field. This was the last radio contact with the aircraft. It crashed at 2117LT 2 3/8 miles northwest of Union City, Oklahoma, and 23 miles west of Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City. Two explosions were heard in the air prior to the crash and portions of the empennage and fuselage were found along the last 3 miles of the flight path. All four occupants were killed, among them George Skakel Sr., founder of Great Lakes Carbon Corporation and his wife Ann.

The flight departed Minneapolis, Minnesota, at 0746LT, bound for Houston, Texas, via schedules intermediate points. A crew change was made at Kansas City, Missouri, and no mechanical discrepancies were reported by the incoming crew with the exception that the left engine torque meter pressure indication was approximately 90 FSI, the normal being approximately 145 PSI The flight departed Kansas City and proceeded in a routine manner to Tulsa, arriving at 1244. The left engine, torque meter pressure indicator was considered inoperative because of its low reading, and was, therefore, disregarded during the flight 2. Following touchdown at Tulsa, the propellers were placed in reverse thrust, and when being returned to positive thrust, the left propeller went to the full feathered position and the engine ceased operation. While taxiing to the loading ramp, attempts were made to start the left engine but were not successful. On departure from Tulsa, no difficulty was encountered in starting the left engine, and the propeller which was in the full feathered position was returned to the low pitch position by use of the propeller governor control. Take-off was accomplished from Tulsa at 1302LT, with 29 passengers, including one infant, and a flight crew consisting of Paul C. Walters, captain, Forrest A. Hull, copilot, Cecelia Littell and loan Stoltenberg, the two stewardesses. Total aircraft weight was 40,304 pounds, which was within the allowable gross weight of 40,500 pounds, and the load was distributed so that the center of gravity was within the certificated limits. Prior to take-off, the engines were run up and the pre-flight check accomplished using a check list. All items checked satisfactorily, with the exception that the left engine torque meter pressure indicator was abnormally low. Flaps were positioned at 24 degrees for take-off. The take-of roll was started on Runway 12, and the signal devices in the cockpit indicated that the automatic feathering unit and the anti-detonation injection unit were functioning. During the take-off roll, the copilot called out the following indicated air speeds. VMC, 107 miles per hour, V1, 121 miles per hour, and V2, 122 miles per hour. The aircraft became airborne at 124 miles per hour, or slightly higher. The landing gear was immediately retracted and the air speed was then observed to be 145 miles per hour at this time, at an altitude estimated to be not over 50 feet, the left propeller was observed to feather and then immediately to rotate slowly. It continued to rotate until the aircraft struck the ground. The crew first became aware that the left engine was malfunctioning when a severe vibration was felt immediately after the gear had been retracted and at the same time the aircraft yawed to the left momentarily. Both engine controls were left at the take-off setting, and a single-engine climb was then initiated. The air speed decreased to approximately 124 miles per hour during the climb to a maximum altitude of approximately 150 feet. At this point, since it was doubtful that this air speed could be maintained, the aircraft was leveled off and a shallow turn to the left was made to avoid flying over a building. As the aircraft started turning at an approximate air speed of 122 miles per hour, the captain, according to the copilot, gave the command to retract the flaps from the 24-degree position to the 12-degree position. The copilot states that he immediately executed the command, stopping the retraction of the flaps at 12 degrees. The captain states that he gave the following command, “ 12-degree flaps. No, leave them where they are.” However, the captain testified that the command was given when the air speed was 107 miles per hour and at a point approximately 3000 feet further along the flight path than where the copilot stated he retracted the flaps. While in the left turn, the aircraft was observed to lose altitude steadily until it struck a grove of trees at a point approximately 17 feet above the ground. After striking the trees it slid on the ground on the underside of the fuselage. All passengers and crew were evacuated safely and in an orderly manner. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

During the takeoff roll, the pilot in command started the rotation when an engine failed. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and collided with a building housing the school of army cadets. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all 18 occupants were slightly injured. In the building, three guys were injured while a fourth was killed.

During the takeoff roll in Tulsa, the nose gear hit a snowdrift. After departure, during initial climb, the crew was unable to raise the nose gear so the captain decided to divert to Dallas-Love Field for a safe landing. After touchdown, the aircraft slid on its nose and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

For unknown reason, the aircraft landed hard. Upon impact, the undercarriage and the engine were torn off. The airplane slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest with the left wing partially torn off. All four occupants escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

En route from Tulsa to Winnipeg, while cruising south of Topeka, the crew encountered technical problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The pilot reduced his altitude and elected to land in an open field when the aircraft stalled and crashed 11 km south of Neodesha. Both pilots and five passengers were killed. All occupants were members of the Winnipeg Toilers basketball team.
Crew:
Avlie H. Hakes, pilot,
H. E. Eggens, copilot.