United States of America

Shortly after takeoff from Chicago-Merrill C. Meigs Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed into Michigan Lake. The aircraft was lost and both crew members were killed. They were performing a positioning flight to Chicago-Palwaukee Airport when the accident occurred.

On approach to Patuxent River NAS, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. In low visibility, the aircraft was too low and struck the ground before coming to rest in flames few hundred yards short of runway threshold. Five occupants were killed while 14 others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

On final approach to Bedford-Hanscom Field Airport, the pilot-in-command did not realize his altitude was insufficient. The four engine aircraft struck telephone poles, stalled and crashed in a boulder located 2,657 feet short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.

On August 6, 1962, at 1731 e.s.t., Flight 414, an American Airlines, Inc., Lockhead Electra, N 6102A, crashed during a landing on runway 4L at McGhee-Tyson Airport, Knoxville, Tennessee. Sixty-seven passengers and five crew members were on board the aircraft. All escaped injury except one passenger who suffered a minor injury. The aircraft was substantially damaged. During the landing made by the captain in an area of thunderstorm activity and heavy rain showers, the aircraft skidded to the right off the runway. It struck a newly constructed taxiway the surface of which was approximately 17 inches above ground level, causing failure of the right main landing gear. The right wing became separated front the aircraft. The remainder of the aircraft continued to deviate to the right off the side of the runway for a short distance and came to rest 3,010 feet from the approach end of the runway on a heading of 200 degrees magnetic.

While completing a training mission over the Washington State, the crew informed ATC about hydraulic problems and was cleared to land at Everett-Paine Field. After touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, went through a fence and came to rest on an embankment. Both pilots were killed.

The crew was completing a training mission from Jacksonville, Florida. While flying in the vicinity of the Glynco NAS (now Brunswick), the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a field. Six crew members were killed while four others were injured.

The aircraft had arrived in Honolulu at 0507 hours Hawaiian standard time on 21 July as CPA Flight 323 from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was departing, the evening of 22 July, as Empress Flight 301 on a scheduled international flight for Nadi (Fiji Islands), Auckland (New Zealand) and Sydney (Australia). The night takeoff was commenced at 22:38 hours local time and approximately two minutes after becoming airborne and during the climbout a fire warning indication for No 1 engine was received in the cockpit. The No. 1 propeller was feathered and the tower controller was advised that the aircraft was returning to Honolulu. As an over-gross landing weight condition existed, fuel jettisoning in the amount of 35000 lb was carried out The jettisoning operation was completed at 23:06 hours following which the flight was vectored west of the outer marker to Intercept the ILS final approach course for runway 08. The three-engine landing approach appeared normal until the aircraft had proceeded beyond the runway threshold and had commenced its landing flare at an altitude of approximately 20 feet above the runway centreline. A go-around was attempted from this position, and the aircraft banked and veered sharply to the left. Initial ground contact was made by the left wing tip approximately 550 feet to the left of the runway centreline and approximately 700 feet beyond the threshold of the runway. The aircraft progressively disintegrated as it moved across the ground, then struck heavy earth-moving equipment parked approximately 970 feet from the runway centreline.

A Continental Air Lines Vickers-Armstrongs Viscount Model 812, N243V, was landed wheels-up, almost immediately following takeoff from the Amarillo Municipal Airport, Amarillo, Texas, on July 8, 1962, at approximately 0706LT. There were no serious injuries to any of the 13 passengers or 3 crew members. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. After normal lift-off and landing gear retraction, the captain was momentarily distracted by rainwater from the window channel falling on his left shirt sleeve and he inadvertently allowed the aircraft to settle until Nos. 2 and 3 propellers struck the runway. No. 4 engine and propeller were damaged by pieces of metal thrown from the No. 3 propeller. Increasingly severe vibration, a rapidly developing right wing heaviness, and sudden and excessive rise of exhaust gas temperatures of Nos. 2 and 3 engines dictated an immediate emergency landing. This was effected, wheels up, in a harvested wheat field approximately 6,930 feet beyond the end of runway 21 and in a direction 21 degrees to the right of its extended centerline.

During the takeoff roll, the undercarriage retracted. The twin engine aircraft sank on its belly and slid for several yards before coming to rest. Both crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Harlingen AFB, while climbing, the aircraft caught fire. All four crew members bailed out and the airplane crashed in flames at Kings Ranch. The airplane was destroyed while all four crew members were uninjured.