Zone
Kansas

Crash of a Beechcraft 34 Twin Quad in Wichita: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft 34 Twin Quad
Operator:
Registration:
NX90521
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wichita - Wichita
MSN:
01
YOM:
1948
Location:
Wichita
Kansas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
200
Circumstances:
The crew consisting of two pilots and two engineers was completing a test flight on this first 34 Twin Quad prototype (certification program). Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft stalled and crashed. The copilot was killed while three other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed. Following this accident, the project was terminated.
Probable cause:
An inadvertent cutting off of an emergency master switch when battling an electrical fire had resulted in the shut down of both engines, causing the aircraft to stall and crash.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-15-DK near Placitas: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1944 at 1330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-49365
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Wichita – Long Beach – Los Angeles
MSN:
26626/15181
YOM:
1944
Location:
Placitas
New Mexico
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
En route to Long Beach, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was instructed to divert to Albuquerque. Shortly later, strong vertical wind and snow falls forced the crew to reduce his altitude in an attempt to maintain a visual contact with the ground. The aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and crashed 5 miles south of Placitas. SAR arrived on site three days later and five men seriously injured were evacuated while all seven other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Lockheed 9A Orion in Kansas City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 28, 1933 at 2125 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 9 Orion
Operator:
Registration:
NC12277
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kansas City – Wichita
MSN:
192
YOM:
1933
Location:
Kansas City
Kansas
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:
Shortly after takeoff from Kansas City Airport, while climbing, the engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed into the Missouri River. The pilot Earl J. Noe was killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after takeoff.

Crash of a Northrop Alpha 4 in Mobeetie

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1932 at 0005 LT
Type of aircraft:
Northrop Alpha 4
Operator:
Registration:
NC942Y
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wichita – Amarillo
MSN:
6
YOM:
1931
Location:
Mobeetie
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Wichita to Amarillo on a night cargo flight, weather conditions deteriorated and the pilot got lost. Due to fuel exhaustion, he was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the aircraft impacted the embankment of a railway line and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure caused by fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Fokker F10A in Bazaar: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1931 at 1045 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F10
Operator:
Registration:
NC999E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kansas City – Wichita – Amarillo – Albuquerque – Winslow – Los Angeles
MSN:
1063
YOM:
1929
Flight number:
TWA599
Location:
Bazaar
Kansas
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
Captain / Total flying hours:
2000
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Kansas City Airport at 0915LT bound for Wichita. At 1022LT, the copilot reported his position south of Emporia. At this time, weather conditions were poor with snow falls, drizzle, icing conditions, clouds and mist. The three engine airplane started to lose altitude then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all eight occupants were killed, among them the US football player and trainer Knute Rockne.
Crew:
Robert Fry, captain,
Jesse Mathias, copilot.
Passengers:
Knute Kenneth Rockne,
H. J. Christiansen,
J. H. Hooper,
W. B. Miller,
F. Goldthwaite,
C. A. Lobrech.
Probable cause:
The right wing severed in flight, maybe following an excessive ice accumulation. The aircraft was probably in a spiral dive when it broke up. An excessive speed almost certainly was a contributory cause of the accident, probably not through control mishandling but through flutter. By late June 1931, 20 of the 36 grounded F-10As were back in service, and five others would follow. There was no rejoicing.

Crash of a Travel Air A6000A in Kansas City: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1930 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Travel Air 6000
Operator:
Registration:
NC8178
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wichita – Kansas City
MSN:
963
YOM:
1929
Location:
Kansas City-Fairfax Field
Kansas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
On final approach to Kansas City-Fairfax Field Airport, while completing a last turn, the pilot lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in a field. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all five occupants were killed.

Crash of a Stearman C-3MB in Holbrook: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1928
Type of aircraft:
Stearman C-3
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wichita - Boise
Location:
Holbrook
Idaho
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 Frederic Hoyt (test pilot by the manufacturer Stearman) was completing a test flight from Wichita to Boise. While overflying Idaho, he encountered poor weather conditions with a snowstorm. After he lost his orientation, he decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field while the pilot landed in a snow covered field some 6 miles from the wreckage. He was found few hours later, frozen to death.
Subscribe to Wichita