United States of America

The aircraft, assigned to the 384th AREFS, departed from Westover AFB on a refueling mission. The KC-97 collided with a B-52 during refueling at an altitude of about 15,000 feet. The aircraft lost the whole left horizontal stabilizer and elevator, the rudder was missing and the upper fourth of the vertical stabilizer. They made a no-flap, electrical power off landing at night at Dow AFB. Two crew members on the B-52 parachuted to safety. The plane remaining crew members continued to Springfield-Westover AFB, MA (CEF) where a safe landing was made.
Source:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19591214-0

Flight 371 of December 1, 1959, was scheduled between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland, Ohio, with stops at Harrisburg, Williamsport, Bradford, and Erie The flight originated at Philadelphia after departing Atlantic City at 0718 1 as Ferry Flight 174 to Philadelphia. Prior to the departure of Flight 371 Captain Goldsmith received the available en route and terminal weather reports and forecasts. The flight was dispatched IFR but the captain elected to depart VFR because of the existing VFR weather en route. Allegheny company policy is to dispatch all flights IFR unless load conditions or navigation facilities require a VFR release. Flight 371 departed Philadelphia at 0815 with 17 revenue passengers At the time of takeoff the gross weight of the aircraft, was 36,477 pounds, which was 2,083 pounds below the allowable gross takeoff weight at Philadelphia for landing at Harrisburg. Following the takeoff from Philadelphia the flight proceeded VFR to Harrisburg where it landed at 0851 without incident and deplaned four passengers and 404 pounds of cargo. Flight 371 departed Harrisburg at 0906 with 22 revenue passengers, one additional crew member, and 598 pounds of baggage, mail, and cargo The gross weight at time of takeoff was 36,429 pounds, which was 2,081 pounds below the allowable takeoff weight at Harrisburg for landing at Williamsport. The Williamsport weather at 0855 was reported as Partial obscuration, 1,000 feet scattered, estimated 2,500 overcast, visibility 2 miles, light snow; temperature 32, dewpoint 30, wind west-northwest at seven knots; altimeter 30.26 Remarks - 4/10 sky obscured by snow few fracto-stratus at 1,000 feet along mountains. This weather was not available to the pilot at the time of his departure. At 0923 Flight 371 reported to Williamsport radio that it was making 360-degree turns five minutes south of the Williamsport low frequency range at an altitude of 3,500 feet, VFR, and requested an instrument clearance to the Williamsport Airport Williamsport radio responded by giving the 0917 Williamsport weather observation, which was: Precipitation ceiling 1,000 feet, sky obscured; visibility one mile in light snow, wind west at five knots; altimeter 30.26 At this time Williamsport radio requested that the flight stand by for clearance At 0927 Flight 371 was cleared direct to the Williamsport low frequency range from its present position, to maintain 4,000 feet At 0928 New York Center instructed Williamsport radio to advise Flight 371 to report north of Victor Airway 232. The flight received this information at 0930 At 0931 Flight 371 advised that it was north of Victor Airway 232 At 0933 Flight 371 was cleared for an approach to the Williamsport Airport, to report on the ground, or cancelling IFR. At this time Flight 371 reported over the Williamsport low frequency range, leaving 4,000 feet, and commencing an approach At 0935 the Williamsport 0934 weather observation was given to Flight 371 as being 1,000-feet scattered, precipitation observation 7,000 feet; visibility 1-1/2 miles in light snow, wind west at four knots, altimeter setting 30 26 inches Allegheny minimums for this approach to the Williamsport Airport are 900 feet ceiling and 1-1/2 miles visibility. At 0941 Flight 371 reported over the low frequency range on final approach and the communicator noted the time as being 0941 At this time the flight was advised of the surface wind, altimeter setting, and that the runway lights were on high brilliancy on runway 9-27 Flight 371 acknowledged all of these transmissions from Williamsport radio At 0942 the flight reported in range to the company on company frequency At this time the company advised that their altimeter setting was 30 25 inches and requested the arrival and departure times of the flight at Harrisburg Flight 371 acknowledged the altimeter setting but did not relay the time information requested. At approximately 0945 Flight 371 was observed over the airport, too high however to effect a landing After this initial approach to the field, Flight 371 flew over the field and made a right turn for a circling approach to runway 27 As this circle was apparently completed, the aircraft was observed to roll out of its right turn and into a left turn and proceed in level flight, on a southerly direction, disappearing into snow showers and clouds. One observer believed that at the time the aircraft commenced this left turn to the southerly heading it was approximately one-fourth of a mile from the end of runway 27 and at an altitude of approximately 400 feet above the ground. A short while after Flight 371 was seen to disappear into the snow showers and clouds on a southerly heading a loud explosive-type noise was heard at approximately 0947 After all attempts to contact Flight 371 had failed, search and rescue at Olmstead Air Force Base, Middletown, Pennsylvania, was advised of a possible crash. At approximately 1120 the wreckage of Flight 371 was sighted on Bald Eagle Mountain at an elevation of 1,150 m s l. on a 172-degree magnetic heading from and about one and one-thirdmiles south of the approach end of runway 27. The crew of 3, one additional crew member, and 21 of the 22 revenue passengers were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.

The airplane was engaged in a firefighting mission under call sign Tanker 27. Shortly after takeoff from Red Bluff Airport, while in initial climb, an engine failed. The airplane stalled, struck trees and crashed in flames. Both crew members escaped while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Flight 595, loaded with cargo, took off on runway 31L of Midway at approximately 0531LT bound for Los Angles, California. As the aircraft began a left turn, the crew notified Midway Tower they had received a fire warning on the No. 2 engine and had shut it down. They also informed the tower the flight would return and land. The aircraft proceeded in a continuing left turn around the airport in an elliptical pattern and below the clouds which were based at an altitude of 500 to 600 feet. In the turn to final approach to runway 31 the aircraft banked in excess of 45 degrees during which it developed an excessive rate of sink. When the aircraft reached the tops of the trees its wings were nearly level and its nose was raised in a climbing attitude; however, the descent continued. The wing flaps were being retracted during the last 5 to 10 seconds of the final descent and were found to be symmetrically extended at 24 percent upon impact. The plane crashed into a residential area about one-fourth of a mile southeast of Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois, killing all persons aboard, demolishing the aircraft, and fatally injuring eight persons on the ground.

While cruising at an altitude of 14,000 feet by night and approaching the Louisiana Coast, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico about 30 miles east of Pilottown. Intensive sea and air searches resulted in finding nine floating bodies and a small amount of floating debris the following morning. None of this disclosed conclusive evidence as to the genesis of the accident. The main wreckage has not been located despite several well planned searches. There was no radio message of impending trouble or any distress call from the crew prior to the accident. All 42 occupants were killed in the crash.

The aircraft was involved in a demo flight from Cleveland to Dayton for a potential client, Columbus Aviation. Takeoff was completed in strong winds and just after liftoff, the pilot realized it was not possible to continue in such conditions. To avoid to crash into Erie Lake, he attempted an emergency landing in a wasteland. The right wing struck the ground and the airplane crashed. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

About 2040, October 30, 1959, Piedmont Airlines Flight 349 crashed on Bucks Elbow Mountain located about 13 miles west of the Charlottesville-Albemarle County, Virginia, Airport. The crew of 3 and 23 of 24 passengers were killed; the sole survivor was seriously injured. The aircraft, a DC-3, N55V, was demolished by impact. From the available evidence it is the determination of the Board that this accident occurred during an intended instrument approach. More specifically, it occurred during the inbound portion of the procedure turn which was being flown 6 to 11 miles west of the maneuvering area prescribed by the instrument approach procedure. The Board concludes that the lateral error resulted from a navigational omission which took place when the pilot did not turn left about 20 degrees in conformity to V-140 airway at the Casanova omni range station. Consequently, when the pilots believed the flight was over the Rochelle intersection it was in fact 13 files northwest of tract position. As a result of this position, when the pilot turned left and flew the heading normally flown from Rochelle intersection, the path of the aircraft over the ground was displaced 8 to 11 miles west of the prescribed track. The Board further concludes that the error was undetected because tracking and other instrument approach requirements were not followed precisely. From information regarding the personal background of Captain and expert medical analysis of this information, it is the Board's opinion that preoccupation resulting from mental stress may have been a contributing factor in the accident cause.

Flight 308 was scheduled between Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with intermediate stops at Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Paso Robles, California. The trip to Oxnard. and Santa Maria was routine. Takeoff from, Santa Maria was made from runway 30 with 17 passengers on board and a crew of three. A few seconds after the first power reduction following takeoff, a loud explosion was heard and fire was seen in the left engine. The left propeller was immediately feathered, the engine was shut off, and appropriate power was applied to the right engine. At the time this happened the aircraft was at an approximate altitude of 550 feet m s.l., or 300 feet above the ground. Shortly after this the fire was observed to be out; however, the airplane began to buffet. This buffeting became so severe that the aircraft lost altitude and the captain was forced to make an emergency landing about 1-1/2 miles north of the airport. The copilot was killed, the captain was seriously injured, and the purser and 17 passengers received injuries of varying degrees.

A Boeing Airplane Company test pilot was acting as an instructor-pilot on a demonstration and acceptance flight prior to the aircraft being delivered to the customer. The company was also utilizing this flight time for flight instruction purposes in qualifying airline personnel in the aircraft. The instructor-pilot demonstrated several maneuvers, including Dutch Rolls, to a pilot-trainee, an airline captain who was making his first training flight training flight prior to checkout on the Boeing 707. The instructor-pilot initiated a Dutch Roll in which the roll-park angle of the aircraft reached 40 to 60 degrees. This bank angle is in excess of limitation set by the company for demonstration of his maneuver. The pilot-trainee, who was to make the recovery, rolled full right aileron control while the right rank was still increasing. The instructor-pilot immediately rolled in full opposite aileron. The airplane stopped its right roll at a point well past a vertical bank and then rolled to the left even more violently. Several gyrations followed and after control of the aircraft was regained, it was determined that three of the four engines had separated from the aircraft and it was on fire. The fire rapidly reduced controllability of the aircraft and an emergency landing was attempted, however, the aircraft struck trees and crashed short of the intended landing area because power on the engine remaining had to be shut down to keep the aircraft wings level. The aircraft was destroyed and four crew members were killed while four others were injured.