Date & Time:
Nov 15, 1961 at 1710 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers Viscount
Operator:
Registration:
N6592C
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Washington DC – New York – Boston
MSN:
234
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
NE120
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
37
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total hours on type:
2000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
300
Aircraft flight hours:
8328
Circumstances:
On November 15, 1961, at approximately 1710LT, 47 minutes after sunset, a ground collision occurred at Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, between a National Airlines DC-6B, N8228H, attempting a takeoff on runway 09 and a Northeast Airlines Viscount N6592C, during its landing roll on runway 04R. National Airlines Flight 429 originated at Boston. Its destination was Norfolk, Virginia, with five intermediate stops. Northeast Airlines Flight 120 originated at Washington, D. C. Its destination was Boston, Massachusetts, with an intermediate stop at LaGuardia Airport, New York. There were no serious injuries to either the crew or passengers of the DC-6; however, four passengers of the Viscount received minor cuts and abrasions while deplaning. There was major damage to both aircraft. As a result of this accident the Board recommended to the Federal Aviation Agency that consideration be given to requiring that all restrictive clearances or instructions issued by air traffic control be acknowledged by pilot repetition.
Probable cause:
The Board finds that this ground collision accident occurred as the result of commencement of takeoff by National 429 without clearance. Contributing factors were the failure of tower personnel to provide adequate surveillance of the active runways and to issue an appropriate warning message to the pilot of National 429 alerting him to the impending traffic confliction.
