United States of America

The crew departed Bergstrom AFB (Austin) on a B-52 refuelling mission. En route, while cruising in a low pressure area with turbulences, the airplane went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion. All four crew members were killed. Brand new, the airplane has been delivered six weeks prior to the accident.
Crew:
Lt Rodney Anderlitch,
Maj Jesse Lee Myrick,
Lt Philip Camillo de Bonis,
Sgt Herman Allison Clark.

En route from Orlando to Atlanta, while cruising by night, the crew reported to ATC that a fire erupted in the cabin and requested the permission to divert to the nearest airport. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a prairie located in Alma, Georgia. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and both crew members were killed. Prior to the crash the fire was observed by ground witnesses when it burned through the fuselage, allowing burning cargo and debris to be scattered over a large area. After making several left circles, the burning aircraft plunged to the ground.

The crew was completing a cargo flight from LaGuardia Airport to Midway Airport in Chicago. On final approach to runway 31, the captain considered his position was incorrect and decided to make a go around. Few minutes later, during a second attempt to land, he failed to realized his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck a 96-foot steel tower, stalled and crashed in flames on a railroad located about 0,9 mile short of runway 31 threshold. The aircraft and the cargo were destroyed by a post crash fire while both pilots were uninjured.

The crew left Litchfield Park NAS near Phoenix to conduct a local training mission at Prescott Airport. After completing several touch and go manoeuvres, the crew was flying at an altitude of about 300 feet east of the airfield when control was lost. The aircraft entered a dive and crashed in flames in a near vertical attitude in a wooded area located along Highway 89. The aircraft burst into flames and all five crew members were killed. It was reported that one of the propeller was feathered when control was lost.
Crew:
Cdr Lukas Victor Dachs, pilot,
Lt Theodore L. Rivenburg Jr.,
Lt Edward Francis Souza,
Calvin Coolodge Coon, flight engineer,
James Stephan Miller, engineer.

The crew was completing a local training at San Francisco Airport, part of a transition program. The approach was completed with a high rate of descent and when the pilot-in-command elected to complete the flare, the four engine aircraft descended until it impacted the runway surface. The undercarriage was sheared off on impact and the airplane skidded for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All three crew members were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

At approximately 2356LT, the aircraft crashed into the East River while attempting an instrument approach to runway 22 at LaGuardia Airport. There were 73 persons on board, including one infant. The captain and one stewardess were killed; the first officer, flight engineer, and the remaining stewardess survived. Of the 68 passengers, 5 survived. The Board believes that a premature descent below landing minimums was the result of preoccupation of the crew on particular aspects of the aircraft and its environment to the neglect of essential flight instrument references for attitude and height above the approach surface. Contributing factors were found to be: limited experience of the crew with the aircraft type, fealty approach technique in which the autopilot was used in the heading mode to or almost to the surface, erroneous setting of the captain's altimeter, marginal weather in the approach area, possible misinterpretation of altimeter and rate of descent indicator, and sensory illusion with respect to height and attitude resulting from visual reference to the few lights existing in the approach area.

A General Airways DC-3 crashed shortly before midnight near Kerrville, Texas, on February 1, 1959, during a civil air movement (CAM) of 25 military personnel from Boise, Idaho, to Lackland Air Force Base (Kelly AFB), San Antonio, Texas. Three of the 28 occupants, including the captain and the reserve captain, then acting as copilot, were killed, four were seriously injured, and 21 received minor injuries. The final segment of the flight was from Pueblo, Colorado, where the U. S. Weather Bureau Station furnished weather briefing. Icing prevailed and was to continue. An IFR flight plan specifying cruising at 9,000 feet was filed. Departure from Pueblo was at 1800 1 and at 1916 the flight requested an altitude change from 9,000 to 7,000 feet, reporting light icing. ARTC approved at 1945. Shortly thereafter the flight again reported light icing. An involved series of radio contacts ensued as ice accretion became worse, then critical, then incapacitating. A privately used airport at Kerrville, Texas, was staffed and lighted. An attempt to land there failed and the aircraft was crash-landed nearby. Previously alerted fire fighting apparatus and ambulances were sent to the site. Investigation revealed no significant mechanical defect and no unpredicted weather conditions. The Board believes that this accident resulted from the pilot pressing into known and dangerous icing conditions until the aircraft was crash-landed. General Airways, Inc., a CAB certificated supplemental air carrier, surrendered its FAA operating certificate shortly after the accident pending FAA re-evaluation of the carrier's operations. The FAA later restored the certificate.

On final approach to Kaktovik Airport (Barter Island), the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed few km from the airfield. The pilot, sole on board, was injured and the aircraft was destroyed. The accident occurred in 50 knots wind which is excessive.

During the takeoff roll, at high speed, the captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure for unknown reason. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the B52 overran and came to rest in a field. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

En route, the crew reported that the right engine failed and elected to return to Norfolk-Chambers Field NAS. On approach, the left engine failed as well and the airplane stalled and crashed into the Willoughby Bay. Four crew members were killed while six others were seriously injured.