Zone
Florida

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor in West Palm Beach: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1976 at 0410 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
Operator:
Open Air International
Registration:
N3505G
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
AF-370
YOM:
1953
Location:
West Palm Beach
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
790
Circumstances:
While taking off from an unlighted grass strip by night, the twin engine airplane struck trees and crashed in flames. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Collision with trees during initial climb after the pilot failed to maintain directional control.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-60 Aerostar (Ted Smith 600) in Bunnell: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1975 at 0934 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-60 Aerostar (Ted Smith 600)
Operator:
Klorer-Willhardt Inc.
Registration:
N90390
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
West Palm Beach – Toledo
MSN:
60-0233-097
Location:
Bunnell
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
515
Captain / Total hours on type:
29.00
Circumstances:
En route from West Palm Beach to Toledo, OH, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulences. While cruising in clouds, he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in a huge explosion in Bunnell. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control and uncontrolled descent due to improper in-flight decisions and after the pilot suffered a spatial disorientation. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Attempted operation beyond experience/ability level,
- Turbulences associated with clouds and thunderstorms,
- Thunderstorm activity,
- Rain,
- Suspect window or windshield failure during uncontrolled descent.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A in West Palm Beach

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1973 at 1147 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
N19428
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Orlando - West Palm Beach
MSN:
11648
YOM:
1943
Flight number:
SHW103
Location:
West Palm Beach
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
30
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
6464
Captain / Total hours on type:
509.00
Circumstances:
While approaching West Palm Beach on a flight from Orlando, both engines failed simultaneously. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing on a highway when he saw the presence of a truck. To avoid a collision, he made a sharp maneuver when the airplane crashed. All 33 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure on approach caused by a fuel exhaustion. The following factors were reported:
- Inadequate preflight preparation,
- Mismanagement of fuel,
- Inattentive to fuel supply,
- Fuel exhaustion,
- Failure of both engines,
- Diverted attention from operation of aircraft,
- Failed to see and avoid objects or obstructions,
- Evasive maneuver to avoid collision,
- Forced landing off airport on land,
- Aircraft flown about seven hours since last recorded refueling.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft D18S in Freeport

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1970 at 1011 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft D18
Operator:
Registration:
N44CA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
West Palm Beach – Freeport – Great Harbor Key
MSN:
A-143
YOM:
1946
Location:
Freeport
West Grand Bahama
Country:
Bahamas
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2100
Captain / Total hours on type:
450.00
Circumstances:
Upon landing at Freeport Airport, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. The pilot, sole on board, was uninjured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Suspected mechanical discrepancy.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker in West Palm Beach: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1956 at 1630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing KC-97 Stratotanker
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
West Palm Beach - West Palm Beach
Location:
West Palm Beach
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed West Palm Beach at 1345LT for a local training mission. After completing several maneuvers, the crew was returning to his base when, on final approach, at a speed of 142 knots, the four engine aircraft struck a 42-foot high light pole. It continued for 660 feet, lost its both wings, broken in two and eventually crashed in a field. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Andrew B. Smernis, pilot,
Cpt Earl Wellington Meredith, Jr., copilot,
2nd Lt Thomas Dee McLeod, copilot,
T/Sgt William Edward McDeid, flight engineer,
M/Sgt John Harold James, panel engineer.
Probable cause:
The investigation would conclude the fault lay not with the crew. It was an in-flight fire; not in an engine, but in the area of the left wing's leading edge.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-15-DC Skymaster on Taboga Island: 23 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1946 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
43-17231
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
West Palm Beach - Albrook
MSN:
22181
YOM:
9
Location:
Taboga Island
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Captain / Total flying hours:
1335
Captain / Total hours on type:
543.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1312
Copilot / Total hours on type:
393
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from West Palm Beach to Albrook AFB, Panama City. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot started the descent from the south when the ATC instructed the crew to maintain a minimum safe altitude of 1,000 feet on approach. The four engine aircraft hit the slope of a shrouded mountain located on Taboga Island, about 15 km south of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 23 occupants were killed, among them one civilian.
Source: http://www.canalzonestudygroup.com/Issue133.pdf
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the members of the Investigating Board that the pilot sighted Otoque Island and mistook it for Taboga and that he was in the vicinity of Otoque Island when he gave his estimated position of 15 miles southeast of the field. It is furtherbelieved that when the pilot called the tower and gave his estimated position as 5 miles south of field and at 1,000 feet on instruments that he thought he was past Taboga Island, approaching Albrook Field, and that by dropping down a little he would be contact again. Actually the estimated distance of 10 miles traveled would place him over Taboga from Otoque. The pilot, Captain Lawrence W. Parks, filed an instrument flight plan from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, to Albrook Field, without holding a currently effective Instrument Pilot Certificate. AAF Form 8 (white) or AAF Form 8A (green) in violation of AAF Regulation 60-16A. The weather on Taboga Island at the time of the crash was reported as a ceiling of approximately 750 feet above sea level, with a visibility of 15 miles. The top 250 feet of Taboga was covered with clouds and the visibility was 1/16 mile with light drizzle.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D Liberator off West Palm Beach: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1944 at 1026 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-11889
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Homestead - Homestead
MSN:
385
Location:
West Palm Beach
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Homestead AFB in the morning for a training exercise along the east coast of Florida. En route, the aircraft collided with a Pennsylvania Central Air Lines DC-3 flying from Miami to Savannah on behalf of the USAAF. Registered NC21788, the DC-3-313 was carrying four people (two crew and two passengers). Both aircraft crashed into the sea, less than one mile from each other, and the wreckage were found some 6 miles southeast of Lake Worth. All eight occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
Investigations determined that both aircraft were flying face to face at the altitude of 1,500 feet when the collision occurred. It appears that both crews did not realize the presence of each other because their attention was focused on cockpit duties and workload.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-313 off West Palm Beach: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1944 at 1026 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC21788
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Miami - Savannah
MSN:
2187
YOM:
1940
Location:
West Palm Beach
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left Miami Airport bound for Savannah on behalf of the USAAF. After departure, the crew was allowed to climb to 3,000 feet along the east coast of Florida. In the same region was flying a USAAF Consolidated B-24D Liberator registered 41-11889 with a crew of four on board. The crew departed Homestead AFB in the morning for a training exercise. En route, both aircraft collided and crashed into the sea, less than one mile from each other. All eight occupants on board both aircraft were killed and the wreckage were found some 6 miles southeast of Lake Worth.
Probable cause:
Investigations determined that both aircraft were flying face to face at the altitude of 1,500 feet when the collision occurred. It appears that both crews did not realize the presence of each other because their attention was focused on cockpit duties and workload.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL in Stuart: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15181
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Fort Wayne - Morrison AFB
MSN:
19647
YOM:
1944
Location:
Stuart-Witham Field
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Crew was performing a flight from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the Morrison AFB located near West Palm Beach. While cruising in poor weather conditions in the region of Stuart, the aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground, killing all five occupants.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL off The Bahamas: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-100679
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Morrison AFB - Borinquen
MSN:
19142
YOM:
1943
Location:
Bahamas
All Bahamas
Country:
Bahamas
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was on his way from Morrison AFB (West Palm Beach, Florida) to Borinquen, Porto Rico, as the aircraft should be delivered in Algiers, Algeria. En route, while cruising off The Bahamas Islands, pilot was forced to ditch the aircraft for unknown reason. A crew member was killed while all four others were rescued.
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