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Crash of a Douglas C-124C Globemaster II at Spangdahlem AFB

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1961
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
Operator:
Registration:
52-0969
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
43878
YOM:
1952
Location:
Spangdahlem AFB
Rhineland-Palatinate
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Spangdahlem AFB, the four engine aircraft was too low, hi trees, lost height and crashed onto the runway. All 15 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It is reported the accident was the consequence of a wrong altimeter setting.

Crash of a De Havilland L-20A Beaver in Piney Flats: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1960 at 0030 LT
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
El Paso - Davison
Location:
Piney Flats
Tennessee
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, sole on board, was performing a flight from Biggs AAF and Davison AAF (Fort Belvoir, Virginia). While cruising by night, he did not realized he was flying too low when the airplane struck tree tops and crashed in a wooded area on Mt Holston located near Piney Flats, Tennessee. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Crash of a Convair C-131D Samaritan in Munich: 53 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1960 at 1410 LT
Type of aircraft:
Convair C-131 Samaritan
Operator:
Registration:
55-0291
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Munich – Northolt
MSN:
212
YOM:
1955
Location:
Munich
Bavaria
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
53
Circumstances:
The aircraft was engaged in a special flight from Munich to RAF Northolt, near London, carrying British students who were flying back home for Christmas and a crew of seven. One minute after takeoff from Munich-Riem Airport, while climbing to an altitude of 1,000 meters, the crew informed ground about the failure of the left engine and obtained the permission to return for an emergency landing. Few seconds later, the copilot informed ground that he was unable to control the loss of altitude. In a limited visibility due to fog (800 meters horizontal and 40 meters vertical), the airplane struck the top of the St Paul church with its left wing and crashed in a huge explosion in the center of a commercial district of Munich. The airplane exploded while hitting a tramway, several cars and people and debris were scattered in the street and several shops as well. All 20 occupants on board the aircraft were killed as well as 33 people on the ground, essentially people sitting in the tramway. Nine other people were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
Its is believed that the failure of the left engine was caused by the combination of the following factors:
- The fuel line, the fuel tank and the fuel pump were contaminated with water,
- Due to low temperature and icing conditions, the carburetor performances were reduced,
- The crew encountered engine difficulties prior to takeoff but apparently decided to continue the procedure.

Crash of a Boeing B-52D-60-BO Stratofortress at Larson AFB

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Operator:
Registration:
55-0098
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Larson - Larson
MSN:
17214
YOM:
1955
Location:
Larson AFB
Washington
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left Larson AFB for a refueling mission over Montana. When the B-52 was supposed to be connected with a USAF KC-135, the probe struck the right wing of the B-52 that was pierced. The operation was cancelled and the crew returned to Larson AFB. Upon landing, the right wing failed and the aircraft crashed in flames. All 10 crew members evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Boeing B-52D-65-BO Stratofortress near Plainfield: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Operator:
Registration:
55-0114
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Westover - Westover
MSN:
17230
YOM:
1955
Location:
Plainfield
Vermont
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training mission out from Westover AFB. En route, while cruising near the Canadian border by night, the aircraft slowly banked to the left without any action from the pilot-in-command who apparently suffered a blackout. The airplane descended with a rate of 2,000 feet per minute when the navigator thinking she was breaking up ejected without direction from the pilot. Eventually, the captain instructed all crew to bail out as well and the airplane crashed and burned in an open field located near Plainfield, making a crater 350' long, 30' deep and 30' wide. Eight occupants were found alive while the body of the navigator was found seven months later.
Probable cause:
The reason the aircraft rolled over was the pilot blacked out, and without positive control input the aircraft entered a gentle slow roll. This initially went undetected by the rest of the crew, who were each performing their own chores. As the aircraft achieved a high angle of bank the rate of descent went over 2,000 feet per minute.

Crash of a Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker at Loring AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
Operator:
Registration:
56-3605
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Loring - Loring
MSN:
17354
YOM:
1958
Location:
Loring AFB
Maine
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Following a wrong approach configuration, the landing procedure was completed in a nose down attitude and at an excessive speed. The nose gear touched down first and penetrated the fuselage, puncturing the forward body fuel tank. The aircraft slid on its nose for dozen yards before coming to rest in flames. A passenger was killed while 16 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A Otter in Orinda: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1960
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-3 Otter
Operator:
Registration:
58-1698
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Monterey - Presidio
MSN:
312
YOM:
1959
Location:
Orinda
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft was on its way from Monterey, California, to Presidio-Crissy Field AFB in San Francisco, carrying four US Army officers and two crew members who should take part to a football game. While cruising at an altitude of 1,300 feet, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions when the airplane struck a water tower located on the top of a hill. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed into a ravine. All six occupants were killed. The Fort Ord Training Center commander and his deputy were killed in the crash.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B-13-FA Provider near Empire: 9 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1960 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-123 Provider
Operator:
Registration:
55-4539
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Pope - Lowry - Hill - Hamilton
MSN:
20200
YOM:
1955
Flight number:
USAF998
Location:
Empire
Colorado
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Pope AFB to Hamilton AFB with intermediate stops at Lowry AFB and Ogden-Hill AFB. The aircraft departed Lowry AFB at 0801LT. The crew completed to successives turns to the left then to the right and continued heading 270°. Few minutes later, the airplane entered a box canyon and was unable to gain sufficient height when it struck the slope of Mt Vasquez Peak (3,414 meters high). The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was the consequence of wrong decision on part of the pilot who violated paragraph 12A (4), AF Reg 60-16 and entered a box canyon with insufficient altitude and lateral clearance from which to effect a safe recovery. The following contributing factors were reported:
- A breach of air discipline, in that the pilot operated his aircraft for a distance of thirty-two miles at altitudes ranging from 500 feet down to 50 feet above the immediate terrain, in violation of Para 12A (3) AF regs 60-16,
- Weather conditions may have been a contributing factor in that the forecast winds and turbulence indicate a probable adverse mountain wave effect on the aircraft immediately prior to impact.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-50-DK near Quito: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1960 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
45-1109
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Humanitarian
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá – Quito
MSN:
17112/34379
YOM:
1945
Location:
Quito
Pichincha
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
The USAF C-47 was performing a humanitarian flight from Bogotá to Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport on behalf of the US Mission. While descending to the airport at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the crew encountered low visibility due to clouds when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Pichincha. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 18 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the approach under VFR mode in IFR conditions.

Crash of a De Havilland L-20 Beaver off Howard AFB: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1960
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Howard - Howard
Location:
Howard AFB (Panama City)
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Howard AFB in Panama City, the pilot encountered technical problems and elected to return for a safe landing. While making a 180 turn, he lost control of the airplane that crashed into the Panama Canal off the district of Balbo. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
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