United States of America

The crew was completing a local training sortie at Barksdale AFB when on final approach, an engine failed. The heavy bomber christened 'Wild Goose' stalled and crashed short of runway threshold. There were no casualties but the aircraft was destroyed.

Overseas National's DC-4 took off from the Oakland Airport at 0820. Captain Marion Harvey Click, company cheek pilot, was in command and aboard were Captains Hammond Garrard and Warren Cecil Gessner who were to receive their six months DC-4 instrument competency cheeks. There were no other persons aboard. The aircraft had been refueled with 1,229 gallons of gasoline and 11 gallons of oil; the total load was within the certificated gross weight and was properly distributed. At 0925, this flight received a clearance from the Oakland tower to make a practice range approach and to remain above 1,500 feet on the final approach to the airport. At 0935, the California Eastern DC-4 3 took off from the Oakland Airport for the purpose of a six-month instrument competency check. Captain Ralph A. Shope, company chief pilot, was in command and occupied the right scat. Captain Winfield B. Kinner, receiving the cheek, was in the left seat. Louis Goldberg, an upholsterer and company mechanic, occupied a cabin seat and was on board only to sew some arm rests. The aircraft had been refueled with 1600 gallons of gasoline, and the total load was within the certificated gross weight and was properly distributed. According to accepted practice, both flights conducted their training cheeks in the "Bay area," with all maneuvers above 3,000 feet. Both aircraft were equipped with hoods, installed on the left side of each cockpit to prevent the pilots being checked from seeing outside. The cheek pilots in the right seats, also perform the duties of safety pilots, maintaining watch for other aircraft. There was also a third pilot on board Overseas who acted as an observer. Shortly before 1013, the approximate time of the accident, both aircraft approached the Oakland low frequency radio range station, which is 0.2 mile northeast from the approach end of Runway 15 of the Oakland Airport. Overseas was on a magnetic heading of approximately 124 degrees inbound on the NW leg of the range; and California was homing on the range on a heading of 75 degrees M 4 Both aircraft were at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Weather conditions were good in the San Francisco Bay area at the time. The U. S. Weather Bureau reported at 1016 (three minutes after the accident); ceiling 25,000 feet, thin broken clouds, visibility seven miles, wind south four mph at Oakland. The sun's bearing at 1015 was 153 degrees .JPG">, and its altitude above the horizon was 28 degrees and 27 minutes. During a short period prior to 1013, both aircraft were observed to converge without any apparent change in direction or altitude. Neither attempted to avoid collision but remained in straight and level flight, and collided approximately over the range station at an altitude of about 3,000 feet. California was at a slightly lower altitude than Overseas, and contact was made between the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer of California and the right side of the fuselage of Overseas just forward of the horizontal stabilizer. Shortly after the collision, Overseas crashed out of control on Doolittle Drive, the highway paralleling the north side of Oakland Airport. Its three pilots were killed at the time of impact with the ground. A number of persons driving on the highway close to the impact site received burns of varying degrees, and several automobiles were destroyed by fire. The top portions of the vertical stabilizer and rudder of California were torn off in the collision. The aircraft was still controllable at an air speed of 160 miles an hour. Immediately following the collision, Captain Shope had Captain Kinner remove the hood. As California was then south of the Oakland Airport at 2,500 feet, Captain Shops requested permission to land on Runway 9R, the longest runway, and to have emergency equipment stand by. However, since all fire equipment was then at the crash scene of Overseas, the flight was directed to the San Francisco Airport, 12 miles away, where an emergency landing was made at 1021.

Crashed on approach to McDill AFB, killing all five crew members.

The airplane was engaged in a bombing and gunnery practice mission, carrying 15 crew members, among them five instructors. In the evening, the crew returned to Kelly AFB to perform some landings. On final approach, some other B-29 cut in front of the aircraft so the pilot had to make sudden turns when the engine n°3 caught fire. Some of the crew members opened a rear door and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in flames shortly later. Four crew members were killed while 11 others were injured, some of them seriously.

Flight 5763, a military contract flight, originated in Oakland, California, with Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, as its destination. It was scheduled to depart Oakland, California, at 0200, November 5, 1951, but due to a mechanical delay, departure was not made until 0352. The crew consisted of Captain Alec S. Hamilton, Copilot Henry N. Ingram, and Stewardess Frances B. Reilly. There were 26 passengers on board. The IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan filed with the CAA prior to departure indicated that the first intended landing would be Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Tucumcari, New Mexico, as the alternate. It showed a cruising altitude of 500 on top and an estimated time of Albuquerque of four hours and five minutes, with six hours and fifteen minutes of fuel on board. At the time of departure the aircraft weighed 38,939 pounds, which was within the allowable gross takeoff weight of 39,900 pounds; the load was properly distributed. The company maintains a dispatching office at Oakland to assist crews in planning flights, but it has no communications facilities for maintaining flight supervision. Company pilots are authorized to act as their own dispatchers, utilizing the CAA Communications facilities for the purpose of flight control. Captain Hamilton stated that prior to departure he was briefed by the U. S. Weather Bureau forecaster at the Oakland Airport on the an route weather and forecasts. Weather information available to the captain at this time indicated that there would be VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flying weather between Oakland and Albuquerque, at a cruising altitude of 11,000 feet, and that helping winds averaging 15 to 20 knots could be expected along the entire route. The forecast for Tucumcari, the alternate airport, indicated clear weather until 0500, followed by an overcast, with a ceiling of 800 feet and surface winds from the northeast at 15 miles per hour. The flight was routine and on reaching Acomita, New Mexico, at 0755, reported that it was 500 on top at 12,000 feet and was estimating Albuquerque at 0811. Following this report the flight asked to change its flight plan to Tucumcari with Amarillo, Texas, the alternate, and requested the latest Tucumcari weather which was: 0728, overcast, 1500 feet, visibility 20 miles, wind northeast 20 mph; Amarillo, 0728, broken clouds 1700 feet, overcast at 3500 feet, visibility 8 miles, wind north-northeast, 17 mph. The flight passed over Albuquerque under broken clouds in the clear at 12,000 feet NSL at 0813, whereupon the following clearance was given: “ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) Clears CAM 5763 to the Tucumcari Airport via Green Airway No. 4, to maintain 500 on top while in the control area.” This clearance was acknowledged. At 0831, the flight reported being over Anton Chico, New Mexico, at 13,000 feet, estimating Tucumcari at 0852. At this time the 0828 Tucumcari weather was given the flight as; coiling estimated 1,000 feet, overcast, visibility 3 miles, snow and fog. At approximately 0845, Tucumcari radio gave 5763 the following clearance: “ARTC clears 5763 to descend to 8,000 feet on the south course of Tucumcari range, maintain 11,000 feet until 2 minutes south, descend outbound, maintain 8,000, report leaving 9,000.” The following clearance was transmitted to the flight by Tucumcari radio at 0851: “ARTC clears 5763 to approach Tucumcari Airport en reaching 8,000 feet.” The flight next reported being over the Tucumcari range station at 0852, at 11,000 feet, descending to 8,000 feet, and at 0901 reported that it was at 9,000 feet outbound on the south leg of the Tucumcari range. At this time the special 0852 Tucumcari weather report was given the flight: “Ceiling 800 feet, overcast, visibility one mile, light snow and fog, wind north 20 miles per hour with strong gusts.” The reported surface visibility in this official weather report was loss than the CAA and company minimums of 11/2 miles for the Tucumcari Airport. At 0907 5763 was given the following clearance: “ARTC clears 5763 to make standard instrument approach.” The Amarillo weather was then given as: coiling estimated 1,000 feet, broken clouds, overcast 2,000 feet; visibility 5 miles, light snow and fog. The flight was asked if it wished to proceed to Amarillo and it replied that it had to land at Tucumcari. The flight continued its descent and at 0909 was advised by Tucumcari radio that the Tucumcari weather was then ceiling 800 feet, overcast, visibility 1/2 miles, light snow and fog, wind north 20 miles per hour. Two minutes later, at 0911, the flight reported it was outbound on the west leg at 8,000 feet, descending to 6,000 feet. Tucumcari radio again gave the flight the weather which had been given it at 0908. One minute after this transmission Tucumcari radio gave the flight the wind direction which was then north-northwest, variable to north-northeast, at 16 miles per hour, and advised that Runway 30 was the runway in use. 5763 immediately requested the bearing of this runway and this was corrected to 03, which was acknowledged by the flight. At 0915 5763 reported that it was at 6,000 feet and inbound on the west leg of the Tucumcari range. Immediately following this report, at 0916, Tucumcari radio asked the flight if it wanted ARTC to recommend an alternate airport closer than Amarillo. The flight acknowledged this and advised it would have to land at Tucumcari but asked where the alternate would be. The pilot was advised to stand by and, according to the communicator on duty, the aircraft was then seen to cross the field in a northwesterly direction at very low altitude. The pilot was quickly advised to pull up and answered that he was doing so. At 0925, the flight advised it was landing downwind. This was the last report received from the flight. After several passes over the airport at altitudes varying from 500 feet to as low as 50 feet, the aircraft crashed near the northeast end of Runway 21 at approximately 0929. A flash fire which occurred immediately after impact quickly subsided. Ten passengers were injured and another one was killed. The aircraft was destroyed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances.

The crew left Madison-Truax Field in the day bound for Amarillo to pick up four US Officers who have to fly to the Norton AFB located in San Bernardino. While approaching Norton AFB from the south at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane hit the ground in the Box Springs Mountains. All six occupants were killed.

Crashed on landing for unknown reason. There were no casualties.

At liftoff, the four engine aircraft stalled and crashed in flames on the edge of the runway. Four crew members were killed while two others were injured.

Crashed in flames in a dirt field located near Mount Shasta. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire. It was the property of Howard Hughes.