Date & Time:
Jan 11, 1938 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Sikorsky S-42
Operator:
Registration:
NC16734
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oakland – Honolulu – Kingman Reef – Pago Pago – Auckland
MSN:
4207
YOM:
1936
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a mail flight from Oakland, California, to Auckland, New Zealand, with intermediate stops in Honolulu, Kingman Reef and Pago Pago. One hour after his departure from Pago Pago, in the early hours, the crew encountered technical problems and was forced to dump the fuel. Apparently, an oil leak occurred on the engine n°4 that was shut down. The captain decided to return to Pago Pago but the seaplane named 'Samoan Clipper' crashed into the sea some 120 km south of Pago Pago. Few debris were found floating on water and all seven occupants were killed, among them Captain Edwin C. Musick, first official Captain by Pan Am.
Crew:
Edwin C. Musick, pilot,
Cecil G. Sellers, pilot,
P. S. Brunk, copilot,
F. J. MacLean, navigator,
J. W. Stickrod, flight engineer,
J. A. Brooks, machanic,
T. D. Findley, radio operator.
Crew:
Edwin C. Musick, pilot,
Cecil G. Sellers, pilot,
P. S. Brunk, copilot,
F. J. MacLean, navigator,
J. W. Stickrod, flight engineer,
J. A. Brooks, machanic,
T. D. Findley, radio operator.
Probable cause:
It was theorized that gasoline vapors had become trapped by a wing flap when it was extended after the crew began dumping fuel in preparation for landing, causing an in-flight fire and/or explosion.
