Date & Time:
Mar 1, 1962 at 1008 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 707
Operator:
Registration:
N7506A
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
New York – Los Angeles
MSN:
17633
YOM:
1959
Flight number:
AA001
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
8
Pax on board:
87
Pax fatalities:
87
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
95
Captain / Total hours on type:
1600
Copilot / Total hours on type:
900
Aircraft flight hours:
8147
Circumstances:
Flight One was cleared for takeoff from Runway 31L on a regularly scheduled nonstop flight to Los Angeles, California, and became airborne at 1007 e.s.t. The takeoff and initial climb appeared to be normal and a gentle turn to the left was started about 8,000 feet down the runway near taxiway AA, at an altitude of about 100 feet. Straightening out from this turn the aircraft continued to climb for several seconds on a magnetic heading of 290 degrees, and started a second turn to the left, apparently in compliance with radar vector directions given by Departure Control. In the second turn the airplane continued to climb. After initiation of the second turn the angle of bank increased until the airplane rolled through 90 degrees of bank at a peak altitude of about 1,600 feet m.s.1. It then entered an inverted, nose-low attitude and plunged earthward in a nearly vertical dive. The airplane struck the shallow waters of Pumpkin Patch Channel of Jamaica Bay approximately three miles southwest of the Idlewild Control Tower at 1008:49 Floating debris and fuel ignited a few minutes later and burned fiercely. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and there were no survivors among the 95 occupants.
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was a rudder control system malfunction producing yaw, sideslip and roll leading to a loss of control from which recovery action was not effective.
Final Report:
N7506A.pdf2.75 MB
