Date & Time:
Aug 22, 1954 at 1703 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
N61451
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Memphis – Little Rock – Fort Smith – Muskogee – Tulsa – Kansas City – Des Moines – Waterloo – Mason City – Austin – Rochester – Minneapolis
MSN:
4630
YOM:
1942
Flight number:
BN152
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
10
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
12
Captain / Total hours on type:
8000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2700
Aircraft flight hours:
23062
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was that the flight while endeavouring to traverse a thunderstorm area encountered very heavy rain, divergent winds, and strong downdrafts that forced the aircraft to the ground. The following findings were reported:
- The flight was observed to enter and disappear in a thunderstorm,
- The aircraft crashed in an area where severe storm ground damage occurred,
- The US Weather Bureau Kansas City received the USAF severe weather advisories but considered their forecast in effect at the time to be adequate,
- The weather forecast issued by the Weather Bureau and Braniff did not indicate the severity of the storm that was encountered.
- The flight was observed to enter and disappear in a thunderstorm,
- The aircraft crashed in an area where severe storm ground damage occurred,
- The US Weather Bureau Kansas City received the USAF severe weather advisories but considered their forecast in effect at the time to be adequate,
- The weather forecast issued by the Weather Bureau and Braniff did not indicate the severity of the storm that was encountered.
Final Report:
N61451.pdf676.48 KB
