Crash of a Lockheed WV-3 Super Constellation into the Pacific Ocean

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1956 at 2200 LT
Operator:
Registration:
137893
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Andersen - Andersen
MSN:
4380
YOM:
1956
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
18
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
723
Circumstances:
The Lockheed WV-3 Super Constellation, BuNo 137893, took off from Guam at 06:00 in the morning of September 1956 on a weather recon mission with an 18 man crew. The flight was normal for the first 14 hours or so. On the return leg, when the flight was 200 miles from Guam, when it lost engine #1 due to oil starvation. The engine was shut down and the propeller feathered. The pilot reported his position to Guam central and the radioman sent the position to the VW3 squadron duty office where it was tracked. The flight continued toward Guam at an altitude of 1200 feet. With 100 miles to go #4 engine experienced complete loss of power and was shut down. The propeller was feathered. However, the propeller never went to full feather and windmilled. There was a violent swerve to the right. Shortly after this, engines #2 and #3 started to lose power. At 80 miles from Guam and losing altitude at 500 to 700 feet per minute the captain decided to ditch the aircraft while he still had lateral control and issued the "Prepare to Ditch" command. Navigator Wanbaugh gave an updated position report to the pilot and radioman for the "May-Day" transmissions. A ditching was carried out. All 18 occupants climbed into two life rafts, already deployed, and pushed off at around 22:00. At about 03:20 on September 18th, the life rafts were sighted by a P2V Neptune aircraft flying search and rescue. The occupants were rescued by Coast Guard Cutter Buttonwood.
Source:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19560917-1

Crash of a Boeing RB-50G-45-BO Superfortress into the Japan Sea: 16 killed

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
47-133
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Yokota - Yokota
MSN:
15817
YOM:
1947
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
16
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a weather mission for typhoon 'Emma' but failed to return to his base at Yokota AFB. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unknown and all 16 crew members have been killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-124C Globemaster II into the Atlantic Ocean: 17 killed

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1956
Operator:
Registration:
53-0021
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
44316
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
17
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
While cruising from Iceland to the US, the crew informed ground about engine problems and the captain decided to ditch the aircraft about 385 km southwest of the Icelandic coast. In unknown circumstances, the airplane crashed into the ocean and all 17 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine problems.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar into the Pacific Ocean: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1955
Operator:
Registration:
52-5891
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pope – McClellan – Hickam – Tachikawa
MSN:
11058
YOM:
1952
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a flight from Pope AFB to Tachikawa with intermediate stops at McClellan AFB and Hickam AFB. While cruising about 1,046 km northeast of Hickam AFB, a propeller blade failed. As the crew was unable to feather the propeller, they decided to bail out and abandoned the airplane that crash into the ocean. A crew member was killed while four others were rescued.
Probable cause:
Propeller blade failure in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V Neptune into the Atlantic Ocean: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
WX510
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
426-5109
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a rescue mission after an Icelandic trawler was missing. The aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances about 208 km west of Barra Island, Hebrides Islands. Few debris were found and none of the nine crew members survived the crash.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined due to lack of evidences. However, it is believed that the loss of control occurred during a last turn at low height or that the aircraft stalled while cruising at low speed.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune into the Caribbean Sea: 11 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
131442
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Guantánamo Bay - Guantánamo Bay
MSN:
426-5323
Flight number:
Snowcloud Five
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Guantánamo Bay NAS in Cuba on a meteorological mission consisting of investigations of the hurricane 'Janet' that was classified in cat 4 and approaching Jamaica from the south. While penetrating the eye of the hurricane at an altitude of about 700 feet, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea, some 480 km southwest of the Jamaican coast. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the eleven occupants was found. There were nine crew members and two journalists on board.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-15-DC Skymaster into the Pacific Ocean: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1955 at 1941 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N90433
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Travis – Honolulu – Wake Island – Tokyo
MSN:
10410
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
FT7413-23
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
13450
Captain / Total hours on type:
8895.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
7603
Copilot / Total hours on type:
380
Aircraft flight hours:
25590
Circumstances:
Trip 7413-23 originated at Travis Air Force Base, California, its destination Tokyo, Japan, with scheduled refueling stops at Honolulu and Wake Island. The cargo load of 15,33 pounds was properly secured and distributed relative to the center of gravity. The flight departed Travis Air Force Base at 0958 and arrived at Honolulu at 2211, September 23, 1955, without incident. The crew consisted of Captain A. J. Machado. First Off leer W. F. Gin, Copilot R. C. Hightower. and Navigators R. C. Olsen and D. Ventresca. No maintenance work was required at Honolulu and the aircraft was refueled to 3,016 gallons for the flight to Wake Island. There was no offloading or loading of cargo. Gross weight of the aircraft at the time of takeoff from Honolulu was 72.993 pounds; there was no change in the flight crew. The flight departed Honolulu at 0013, September 24, 1955, on an IFR (Instrument Plight Rules) flight plan to Wake Airport via Green 9, Rhumbline Track, to maintain 8,000 feet. Routine hourly position, fuel remaining and weather reports ware made to Honolulu ARTC (Air Route Traffic Center) as the flight progressed and at 0630 control of the flight was transferred to Wake Island ARTC. At 0633 an emergency was declared to Wake ARTC, the flight advising of loss of power in three engines and inability to return to Honolulu. The aircraft was ditched during darkness at approximately 0641 at position 20 degrees 20' N. latitude 175 degrees 45' W. longitude. Neither Wake nor Honolulu radio was able to maintain contact with the aircraft; therefore Air Search and Rescue was alerted and an extensive search was commenced using both aircraft and surface vessels. At approximately 1318 on September 25 the SS Steel Advocate sighted and picked up Captain Machado and Copilot Hightower who were floating in life jackets. The two survivors reported that Navigator Ventresca went down with the aircraft and First Officer Gin and Navigator Olsen died while in the water. Weather briefing at Honolulu indicated a low pressure trough to be crossed at about 165 degrees W. longitude; there were no fronts to be crossed. The forecast indicated that scattered cumulus clouds would prevail over the intended route with tops mostly 12,000 feet and lower. Review of the weather indicates no rain showers at the time and place of ditching. Sea swells in the ditching area wore probably 4 to 6 feet high with the sea surface intermittently in deep shadow and faintly illuminated by the moon, which was in its first quarter.
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the lone of power in three engines due to incorrect fuel system management and faulty restarting methods which resulted in the ditching of the aircraft. The following findings were reported:
- Weather or navigation was not a factor in the accident,
- There was sufficient fuel aboard the aircraft to reach the destination,
- Loss of power was experienced in three engines because of the positioning of fuel selectors on empty or nearly empty tanks,
- The failure to restart the three engines was due to incorrect technique or improper method of using fuel selectors end associated controls.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DK into the Mediterranean Sea

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1955
Operator:
Registration:
43-48213
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tripoli – Athens
MSN:
14029/25474
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Enroute from Tripoli to Athens, the crew encountered engine problems and elected to ditch the aircraft 145 km north of the Libyan coast. About 15 minutes after the emergency landing, the crew of a USN SA-16 Albatross was able to evacuate all 18 occupants safely. Later, the C-47 sank and was lost. The crew was performing a flight from Mitiga Airfield to Hassani Airport in Athens.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in the Arctic

Date & Time: May 26, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-N535
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bukhta Somnitelnaya - Bukhta Somnitelnaya
MSN:
184 346 02
YOM:
1959
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On a flight from Bukhta Somnitelnaya (Wrangel Island) to a drifting ice floe in the central Arctic Basin when the ski of the right main landing gear hit an ice hummock during the landing run and broke. The nose of the aircraft touched the ice and the fuselage broke into three when falling back onto the ice. All 6 crew and 4 passengers escaped unhurt and were evacuated by another aircraft. The wreck was set on fire and abandoned on the drifting ice floe. It was spotted by an aircraft of the Icelandic Coast Guard about 155 miles north-west of Iceland (approximately 10-20 miles off Scoresby Sound on Greenland's East Coast) 11DEC1959 but could no longer be found a few days later because of fog. It eventually sank.

Crash of a Boeing KC-97G Stratotanker into the Atlantic Ocean: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 4, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
53-0110
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
16892
YOM:
1953
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Enroute from the US to Europe, while in cruising altitude, the crew sent a brief mayday message, reporting an engine explosion. Shortly later, the airplane went into a dive and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean some 145 km southwest of Reykjavik. All nine crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine explosion in flight.