Date & Time:
Jul 15, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Convair R3Y Tradewind
Operator:
Registration:
121455
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
North Island - North Island
MSN:
1
YOM:
1953
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local test flight on behalf of the Convair Company. After departure from North Island-Halsey Field NAS, while in cruising altitude, the crew encountered control difficulties. All 11 crew members decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the seas and crashed off Point Loma. All 11 occupants were rescued while the airplane was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of an elevator torque tube in flight.
