United States of America

En route from Lowry AFB (Denver) to Alameda NAS (Oakland), the airplane suffered a loss of power on both engines and the crew instructed all six passengers to bail out. After they abandoned the airplane, the crew lost control of the aircraft which dove into the ground and crashed in a marshy field located about 2 miles north of Collinsville. Both pilots were killed while all six passengers were uninjured.

The crew was involved in a training sortie from Elmendorf AFB. In unknown circumstances, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Cook Inlet, killing all 7 crew members.

The crew was apparently involved in a maritime patrol flight from North Island-Halsey Field NAS, San Diego. Shortly after takeoff, the seaplane encountered strong winds, causing a wing to drop and hit the water surface. The aircraft went out of control and crashed, killing all ten crew members.

The crew was conducting a training sortie from Spokane. En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to abandon the aircraft and to bail out. Out of control, the heavy bomber crashed in a uninhabited area located 4 miles north of Wellpinit. The copilot was killed while 13 other occupants were evacuated safely.

The trip from Boston was routine and at 2112 the flight contacted the Portland tower and received landing instructions as follows "Northeast 812 Able cleared to enter traffic pattern Runway 20. Wind east variable southeast 5. The altimeter 2998. Check on base leg." At 2116 the flight reported turning into final approach and was cleared to land on Runway 20. As the aircraft passed over the approach end of the runway, at an estimated altitude of 20 to 25 feet and an indicated airspeed of 120 mph, the throttles were brought back to what was expected to be the closed position, preparatory to landing. However, due to malfunctioning of the propeller reverse lock mechanism, the throttles were actually brought back beyond the closed position and into the propeller reverse pitch position instead. This unexpected reversal of propeller pitch in flight resulted in an extremely hard landing 237 feet past the approach end of the runway with serious damage to the aircraft structure. The airplane, however, continued along the runway a distance of 1,065 feet from the point of initial impact before it came to rest. Fuel which had been spilled along the runway was ignited by sparks from the damaged aircraft and propellers scraping along the runway surface. The fire became concentrated for a period on the right side adjacent to the right engine and right wing root, but subsequently enveloped the major portion of the aircraft. All passengers were evacuated in an orderly manner through the rear cabin exit door. The captain and first officer made their escape through the left cockpit window after all effective action possible had been taken to control the fire. The airport fire equipment arrived shortly thereafter but was unable to extinguish the fire before the aircraft had been damaged beyond economical repair. Five people were slightly injured while all other occupants were unhurt.

The DC-3 was on a regularly scheduled flight en route from La Guardia Field, N Y., to Wilmington, Del., having originated at Boston, Mass., with Memphis, Tenn., as the destination. Takeoff from La Guardia was at 1000, with 12 revenue passengers and a fresh crew consisting of Captain L. R. Matthews, Pilot J. B. Simmons, and Flight Attendant Peter Gobleck. The aircraft was loaded within the prescribed limits for weight and location of center of gravity. The clearance was in accordance with Visual Flight Rules. The flight reported its position as over Freehold, N J., at 1017 and estimated arrival over Philadelphia, Pa., at 1037 and Wilmington, Del., at 1045. This was the last radio contact with the DC-3. The F-6-F-5 was en route from the Naval Air Station Anacostia, DC, to the Naval Air Station, Quonset Point R. I., on a training, or proficiency flight. Takeoff from Anacostia was at 0937 with the aircraft piloted by Lieutenant (j g) Robert V. Poe, USN. Clearance was in accordance with Visual Flight Rules, specifying a cruising speed of 160 knots (184 statute miles per hour) and an estimated time en route of two hours. There is no record of any position report or other radio contact from the F-6-F-5 after it was cleared for takeoff by the Anacostia tower. Weather conditions existing over the route of both aircraft were good. The visibility was 10 miles and there were scattered clouds at 12,000 feet. At about 1030 the F-6-F-5 was observed to perform acrobatics and to "buzz" a small civil aircraft in the neighborhood of Chesterfield, N. J. These maneuvers terminated in collision between the F-6-F-5 and the DC-3. Upon collision the fighter plane lost its left wing and the DC-3 lost the outer portion of its left wing. Both aircraft then fell in erratic paths, losing various parts while falling. The DC-3 burned when it struck the ground. The fighter's pilot was either seriously injured or killed at the time of the collision and was thrown clear of the aircraft during the descent. There was no indication that he attempted to use his parachute. The fighter did not burn on impact. All 16 occupants in both aircraft were killed.

An engine caught fire in flight, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft registered 37208 (VP-ML-6) crashed in flames in a field located in Hershey. Four crew members were injured while three others were killed.

The aircraft was chartered to carry 28 US military staff to Chicago. The crew taxied the aircraft to the south end of runway 31, where they parked for a period of 13 minutes to accomplish the before takeoff check list. The engines and other components of the aircraft appeared to operate normally, so at 2058, after receiving clearance from the tower, takeoff was started. Fuel selector valves for both engines had been positioned to the front tanks which contained 91 octane gasoline. Wind was from the northeast at six miles per hour, and visibility was eight miles, under a ceiling of 8,500 feet. Power was advanced to 45 inches of manifold pressure and to 2,700 RPM’s for takeoff. The aircraft rolled approximately 3,500 feet down the runway, then became airborne at an air speed of 105 miles per hour. During the takeoff run one of the engines was heard to sputter and backfire, and an unusual amount of torching or exhaust flame was observed coming from both of the engines. Because the left engine did not seem to be developing full power, Captain Edgerton, at an altitude of about 20 feet, retarded the throttles, and the aircraft settled back to the runway. Runway 31 at Boeing Field is 7,500 feet long. At the time of the accident, the green threshold lights at the north end of the runway had been moved in 1,700 feet for runway had been moved in 1,700 feet for runway repair purposes, in effect reducing the length of the runway to 5,800 feet. However, this north portion of the runway was usable for takeoff. Captain Edgerton after touching down on the runway, approximately 4,500 feet from the start of the takeoff and 1,300 feet from the green threshold lights, did not believe that he had sufficient runway remaining to accomplish a safe stop, so he advanced the throttles to the limit of 52 inches. Both engines responded, but the left continued to misfire. After a momentary ground roll the aircraft again became airborne at an air speed of 105 miles per hour. The landing gear was retracted, air speed increased slowly to approximately 110 miles per hour, and the flight passed over the north end of the runway at about 50 feet above the ground in a nose high attitude. Sufficient altitude could not be obtained to fly over power lines and poles to the north of the airport, and 1,500 feet north of runway 31 the aircraft struck a 56-foot pole two feet below its top. The impact tore away six feet of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. A second pole, 1,480 feet from the first, was struck, then a third pole 200 feet from the second. As a result of striking these poles air speed and altitude were lost, and 200 feet from the third pole the aircraft crashed into a three-story frame house. The aircraft carried away the entire top story of this structure, then it plunged into and demolished a single-story brick dwelling. The aircraft came to rest on the foundation of the brick dwelling in an upright position. Many high tension lines, carrying up to 26,000 volts, had been severed. As a result, there was considerable electrical arcing which started several scattered fires in the vicinity of the accident. Fire was started in the area of the aircraft’s fuel tanks immediately after the aircraft had come to a full stop. The tail section aft of the main cabin door and the nose section forward of the flight deck were separated from the cabin portion of the fuselage. Passengers and crew were evacuated through these open ends of the cabin before fire progressed into the fuselage. Two passengers, Pvt Laurence Furio and Cpl Frank Catioca were killed as well as five people in the houses: Pete Chumos, Frank Morgan, Ralph Parker, Olavi Niemi and Ed Brightcamp.

Crashed on approach to Wright-Patterson AFB, killing at least one crew member.

Flight 897R originated at New York, New York, for Long Beach, California, with stops at Chicago, Illinois, Kansas City, Kansas, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Burbank, California. A crew change was made at Kansas City. Departure from Kansas City was at 2321, July 11, and the flight proceeded through thunderstorm conditions to Albuquerque. Departure from Albuquerque, New Mexico, was at 0424, with 44 passengers, including two infants; 4 crew members, 875 gallons of gasoline, and 60 gallons of oil, and with a visual flight rules clearance. The total weight at time of departure was 39,746 pounds, which was within the certificated gross weight of the aircraft, and all disposable load was properly distributed so that the center of gravity of the aircraft was within the certificated limits. After leaving Albuquerque, considerable turbulence and thunderstorm conditions were encountered before clear weather was entered. At 0722 the flight contacted Riverside, California, INSAC, advised that at 0720 it was over Riverside at 9,000 feet, 500 on top, and requested a top report 2 for the vicinity of Burbank (about 67 miles to the west) which was given as 2,200 feet MSL. 3 The flight then filed an Instrument Flight Rules plan from its position direct to Burbank estimating arrival there at 0740. Clearance was issued by the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center as follows. "ATC clears N79978 from present position to Simi Intersection direct cruise 500 on top, maintain 500 on top until advised by Burbank Control on 248 Kes., no delay--contact Burbank Approach Control when approaching Burbank." The first radio contact with the Burbank Tower was at 0735, at which time the flight reported its position as west of Riverside, and upon request the latest (0725) Burbank weather observation was given the pilot as "measured ceiling 800 overcast, thin obscurement, visibility two miles, smoke." The tower advised the flight that another aircraft, a Cessna, was then over Chatsworth 4 inbound and that no delay was anticipated. At 0736 the Cessna reported that it was contact and was cleared to land. Immediately N79978 was contacted "cleared to make straight-in approach to the aerodrome, Runway 7, Burbank altimeter three zero zero two, time cheek three six." The pilot acknowledged and advised that his position was "approaching Burbank Range," but did not give his altitude. This was the last radio contact with the flight. No position report was made as actually over Burbank Range. At 0745, a California Central Airlines' DC-3, Flight 81, reported over the Burbank Range, and was directed to hold north-west of Simi, 500 on top, pending the landing of N79978. When N79978 failed to arrive, several calls were initiated to it by the tower but no response was heard. California Central's flight was then requested to search for the aircraft and sighted the burning wreckage about three miles west of the town of Chatsworth, California, in the Santa Susana Mountains at 0800. At that time, 17 minutes after the accident, the weather at the crash site was clear with a former cloud layer rapidly dissipating. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and three crew members and 32 passengers were killed.