United States of America

PAA 212 departed Dulles Airport at 2221 with the same crew of 9 and 136 passengers. The flight was conducted under instrument conditions and was routine until arrival in the New York area. At 2239 the New York Center controller transmitted the JFK weather to PAA 212. The runway visual range (RVR) on runway 4R at JFK was reported to be 1,600 feet. At 2250 JFK Approach Control established radar and radio contact with PAA 212 and advised: "Depart Colts Neck heading zero nine zero for vectors to the final approach course, Kennedy weather is three hundred thin broken, measured ceiling one thousand five hundred overcast, visibility one and one-half miles fog, and the runway visual range runway four right more than one thousand feet, standby." FAA 212 acknowledged the transmission. N779PA was restricted to landing Minimums of 300-foot ceiling and 3/4 mile visibility. The flight reported over the Colts Neck VOR at 2253 35 and was cleared to descend from 6,000 to 1,500 feet. Several vectors were given to position FAA 212 on the inbound heading to the Outer Marker (OM). At 2256.15 while on a heading of 040 degree, the crew reported reaching 1,500 feet, airspeed 180. Several delaying vectors were given to position the aircraft three and one-half miles behind a DC-8 which was landing ahead. At 2259.45 the JFK local controller transmitted to FAA 212: "Clipper two one two this is Kennedy Tower, report passing outer marker, straight in four right, wind calm, runway visual range, all aircraft copy, four right is more than six thousand." Prevailing visibility at the JFK Airport was less than three miles, therefore the Precision Approach Radar (PAR) Controller was monitoring all ILS approaches to runway 4R as prescribed by procedures. At 2301.10 the PAR controller advised, "Clipper two twelve, Kennedy radar on localizer one mile from outer marker course and glidepath OK." At 2301:40, PAA 212 reported passing the outer marker and the PAR controller advised, "Clipper two twelve two miles from touchdown." The local controller transmitted at 2301 45 "Clipper two one two, Kennedy Tower cleared to land four right, traffic will be clear in five seconds." PAR at 2302-10 advised "Clipper two twelve, Kennedy radar, execute a missed approach if you do not have the runway in sight." Immediately following this transmission, PAA 212 acknowledged "Uh. . . Roger two one two." The next radio transmission was at 2303:10 when the local controller called the flight but was unable to establish radio contact. After touchdown the aircraft continued down and off the runway across the asphalt overrun and through a sandy area before coming to rest in the shallow water of Thurston Basin approximately 800 feet from the far end of runway 4R. When the aircraft came to rest the crew proceeded aft to assist the passengers. The main forward (left) cabin door was opened and the passengers in this section of the aircraft left through this door. The passengers in the aft section left through the overwing exits onto the wings; and others left through the two rear doors and got into two life rafts that had been launched. Evacuation of the aft section of the aircraft was completed in approximately five minutes. After seats and debris had been removed from the first-class compartment aisle, some of the persons who had been in the aft section of the aircraft reentered the aircraft and left through the main forward cabin door. The aircraft broke in two and was written off. Among the 145 occupants, 40 were injured, seven of them seriously, and 105 other occupants were unhurt.

While in cruising altitude on a liaison flight, weather conditions worsened. In a limited visibility due to snow falls, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located 7 miles southwest of Mt Whitney. All four occupants were killed.

While cruising in a limited visibility due to snow showers, the twin engine aircraft struck the slope of a mountain and crashed in flames near Knoxville. All six occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the ceiling was at 2,000 feet and the visibility was limited due to snow falls. Also, the mountain was shrouded in clouds.

Frontier Airlines Flight 32 of March 12, 1964, crashed and burned during an instrument approach to the Miles City Airport, Miles City, Montana, about 2050 m.s.t. All five occupants, three crew members and two passengers were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed. Weather conditions last reported to the flight were the operational minima of ceiling 400 feet and visibility one mile. Wet snow, strong gusty winds, and near freezing temperatures prevailed. Investigation revealed neither malfunctioning of any of the aircraft's components nor of any of the pertinent airport navigational facilities including the VOR, which was utilized. All applicable FAA certification was in order.

Slick Airways Flight 12, a Douglas C-54B-DC, N384, operating as a scheduled cargo flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, New York, to Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, with a stop at Bradley Field, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, crashed at 0821:35, March 10, 1964, while making an instrument approach to Runway 4R at Logan International Airport. The aircraft crashed in a lumberyard approximately 7,000 feet from the displaced threshold of Runway 4R and on the extended centerline of that runway. Boston weather at the time was: scattered clouds at 400 feet, overcast at 700 feet, surface visibility 1-1/2 miles in moderate sleet and fog, wind 050 degrees (.JPG">), 22 knots, gusts to 28 knots, temperature 32 degrees, dewpoint 32 degrees. The captain, first officer, and freight handler, the only occupants, were killed. The aircraft was demolished by impact forces and the ensuing fire.

A Douglas DC-3A, N410D, operated by and registered to Hansen Air Activities, crashed into an occupied house 7-1/2 miles west-northwest of the Chicago O'Hare International Airport at 2356 c.s.t., March 8, 1964. The copilot sustained fatal injuries and three of the 28 passengers received minor injuries. None of the six persons in the house were injured. The aircraft was damaged substantially. The crew was attempting an ILS approach to runway 14R in instrument flight conditions when turbulence was encountered, accompanied by a rapid accretion of airframe icing. The crew was unable to maintain directional stability or altitude, and abandoned the approach. After leaving the approach course, the aircraft continued to descend in an uncontrolled condition until it crashed.

While in cruising altitude, the pilot informed ATC that both engines failed and elected to divert to the nearest airport. While losing speed and height, the airplane crash landed in a field located in Delta. All three passengers were injured while the pilot was killed.

The Paradise Airlines Lockheed Constellation operated Flight 901A from Oakland (OAK) to Tahoe-Valley Airport (TVL) via Salinas (SNS) and San Jose (SJC). The aircraft departed Oakland at 08:43 and was ferried to Salinas, arriving at 09:11. The flight departed at 09:27 with 18 passengers and arrived at San Jose at 09:46. The Constellation departed was airborne again at 10:40 on a VFR flight plan. After becoming airborne, the crew requested and received an IFR clearance via airways Victor 6 South to Sacramento, Victor 6 to the Lake Tahoe VOR, to maintain 11,000 feet. The company prepared flight plan then called for a VFR flight to the Tahoe Valley Airport because there was no approved IFR approach procedure for the destination. At 10:57 Flight 901A was in radio communication with Paradise Flight 802 which was outbound from the Tahoe Valley Airport. The captain of Flight 802 advised the crew of Flight 901 that he had encountered "...icing at 12,000 (feet) ... there were snow showers over the lake and clouds topping mountains in the vicinity ...". Flight 901A then climbed to a cruising altitude of 15000 feet. The crew of Flight 901A contacted the Paradise Airlines passenger agent at the Tahoe Valley Airport at 11:27. At this time he gave them the 11:00 Tahoe Valley weather which was: Estimated ceiling 2,000 feet overcast; 3 miles visibility; snow showers; temperature 32°; dewpoint 32°; wind from 210°; 10 knots, gusts to 15 knots; altimeter 29.97. He also asked the crew to call the company if they decided to land at Reno, Nevada rather than Tahoe Valley. The crew acknowledged this transmission with "will do." The crew apparently decided to abandon the approach. They took up a heading which took them towards the high terrain east of the lake. It is very likely that from their position over the Tahoe VOR they were able to observe the VFR conditions that existed east of Lake Tahoe on the leeward side of the mountains. Additionally, investigators assumed that the first officer was aware of the existence of Daggett Pass and considered it an access to VFR conditions beyond the pass. An altitude of 9,000 feet would provide about 1,500 feet terrain clearance through the center of the pass. Then, either because they believed they had sufficient altitude to clear the terrain or because they were unable to climb higher due to structural ice, the aircraft leveled off. At that time the aircraft struck several trees on the west slope of a ridge of Genoa Peak at approximately 8,675 ft, slightly right-wing-low in a nearly level flight attitude. The airplane broke up, killing all aboard.

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.

En route from Detroit to Akron, Ohio, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances somewhere between both cities, maybe in Michigan. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the 4 occupants was found.