Crash of a Douglas M-4 in Rattlesnake Hill

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Douglas M-4
Operator:
Registration:
NC1646
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bellefonte – Cleveland
MSN:
304
Location:
Rattlesnake Hill
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Bellefonte to Cleveland, while flying in poor weather conditions, the aircraft lost height and descended until it struck the slope of Rattlesnake Hill. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was slightly injured.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on the airplane.

Crash of a Latécoère 32/3 in the Mediterranean Sea

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Latécoère 32
Operator:
Registration:
F-AJBK
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Marseille – Algiers
MSN:
85
YOM:
1929
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Marseille to Algiers, while cruising north of the Balearic Islands, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft. All four crew members were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank while being towed back to Marseille.
Crew:
Edmond Larbonne, pilot,
Mr. Adan, navigator,
Maurice Thomasset, radio,
Mr. Traverse, engineer.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Boeing 95 in Ringtown

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 95
Operator:
Registration:
NC426E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cleveland – Newark
MSN:
1070
YOM:
1929
Location:
Ringtown
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Cleveland to Newark, a fire erupted on board for unknown reasons. Unable to make an emergency landing, the pilot decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed in a pasture, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was uninjured.
Probable cause:
In-flight fire of undetermined origin.

Crash of a Waco GXE in Indianapolis: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1929 at 2245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Waco 10 (GXE)
Operator:
Registration:
NC786E
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Chicago – Indianapolis – Cincinnati
MSN:
2028
YOM:
1929
Location:
Indianapolis
Indiana
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Chicago-Maywood Field at 2100LT on a mail flight to Cincinnati with an intermediate stop in Indianapolis, carrying two pilots. On a night approach to Indianapolis-Mars Hill Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane impacted ground and crashed near the airport, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and both crew members were killed, among them pilot Charles Vermilyea.

Crash of a Fokker C-4 near Kemerovo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1929 at 0840 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker C-4
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-150
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Moscow – Novosibirsk – Krasnoyarsk – Irkutsk
MSN:
2347
Location:
Kemerovo
Kemerovo oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a mail flight from Moscow to Irkutsk with several en route stops. After leaving Novosibirsk, about an hour into the flight, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions. He apparently attempted an emergency landing when the airplane impacted ground and crashed southwest of Kemerovo, about 183 km northeast of Novosibirsk. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot was inexperienced for flying in limited visibility and under instruments. Unable to continue the flight, he attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed. It was also determined that the pilot did not received relevant information about weather conditions en route prior to departure, which was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Stearman C-3B in Mount Vernon: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Stearman C-3
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cleveland – Louisville
Location:
Mount Vernon
Ohio
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was performing a postal flight from Cleveland to Louisville. En route, he encountered low visibility due to foggy conditions and decided to reduce his altitude to establish a visual contact with the ground. The aircraft impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a New Standard D-27 in Beaver Falls

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1929
Type of aircraft:
New Standard D-27
Operator:
Skyline Transportation Company
Registration:
NC9121
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
114
Location:
Beaver Falls
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the engine lost power and was about to fail. The pilot bailed out and the aircraft crashed in a field. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was found alive.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Boeing 95 in Elm Creek

Date & Time: Oct 18, 1929 at 0430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 95
Operator:
Registration:
NC192E
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Chicago – San Francisco
MSN:
1055
YOM:
1929
Location:
Elm Creek
Nebraska
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Chicago to San Francisco, while cruising by night, the pilot encountered engine problems. While attempting an emergency landing, the aircraft crashed in a field near Elm Creek, bursting into flames. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
Engine problems caused by the failure of a fuel line.

Crash of a CAMS 53/1 in the Mediterranean Sea

Date & Time: Oct 9, 1929
Type of aircraft:
CAMS 53
Operator:
Registration:
F-AISZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Marseille – Algiers
MSN:
9
YOM:
1929
Location:
Mediterranean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An engine failed en route, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea some 130 km north of Algiers. While all three crew members were quickly rescued by the crew of the ship named 'Timgad', the aircraft that was damaged beyond repair was towed two days later by the crew of the ship named 'Colonel-Casse'.
Crew:
Alexandre Pichodou, pilot,
Mr. Hautot, radio,
Mr. Traverse, engineer.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Nieuport-Delage NiD-390 in Sainte-Agathe-la-Bouteresse

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1929 at 1945 LT
Type of aircraft:
Nieuport-Delage NiD-390/391
Operator:
Registration:
F-AIVN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bordeaux – Montluçon – Lyon – Geneva
MSN:
03
YOM:
1928
Location:
Sainte-Agathe-la-Bouteresse
Loire
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a mail flight from Bordeaux to Geneva with intermediate stops in Montluçon and Lyon. On the leg from Montluçon to Lyon-Bron Airport, the aircraft caught fire in flight. The pilot attempted an emergency landing in an open field located in Sainte-Agathe-la-Bouteresse. Upon landing, the single engine airplane struck a ditch and came to rest upside down. The pilot Duperiez was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Unknown in-flight fire.
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