Crash of a Beechcraft C90 King Air in Charleston: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1975 at 0814 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N221MJ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Charleston - Wilmington
MSN:
LJ-512
YOM:
1971
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
4596
Captain / Total hours on type:
3923.00
Circumstances:
At liftoff, one of the engine failed. The crew lost control of the airplane that lost height and crashed in flames in woods downhill of dirt bank. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Powerplant failure for undetermined reasons. The following contributing factors were reported.
- Delayed action in aborting takeoff.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar in Wilmington: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1968
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wilmington – Otis
Location:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Wilmington-Clinton County Airport, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames in a field. It was engaged in a flight to Otis AFB, carrying 11 military personnels and 20 civilians. Six members of the 907 TAG were killed.
Those killed were:
T/Sgt William B. Hansford III,
Sgt Ernest L. Arehart,
Sgt Richard N. Hall,
Sgt David A. Husinga,
A1C Paul L. Ruschau,
A1C Michael L. Wiford.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando in Detroit

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1964 at 0611 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N3971B
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Detroit – Wilmington
MSN:
22594
YOM:
1945
Flight number:
VK11346
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
10376
Captain / Total hours on type:
5676.00
Aircraft flight hours:
25018
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a cargo flight from Detroit to Wilmington and the aircraft was loaded to about 20 pounds under the maximum allowable gross weight of 48,000 pounds. After takeoff from runway 21L, while climbing to a height of 200 feet, the aircraft suffered vibrations then stalled and crashed in a field located 2,050 feet pas the runway end. It slid for about 448 feet before coming to rest with its both wings partially sheared off. Both pilots were evacuated and the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
A loss of lift during takeoff, resulting from airframe icing caused by inadequate deicing and preflight inspection. It was determined that the airplane has been improperly deiced prior to takeoff and that a layer of 3 mm of ice was still on the wings at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Kaiser-Frazer C-119G Flying Boxcar near Wilmington: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1964 at 2053 LT
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wilmington - Wilmington
Location:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While completing a local training mission, the Kaiser-Frazer C-119G Flying Boxcar collided with a second USAF C-119 and crashed 10 miles east of Wilmington Airport. Seven occupants were killed while two others survived. All 10 occupants on board the other aircraft were killed. The exact circumstances of the collision remains unclear as well as both aircraft's registration.

Crash of a Kaiser-Frazer C-119G Flying Boxcar near Wilmington: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1964 at 2053 LT
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wilmington - Wilmington
Location:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While completing a local training mission, the Kaiser-Frazer C-119G Flying Boxcar collided with a second USAF C-119 and crashed 10 miles east of Wilmington Airport. All ten occupants were killed and seven of the nine occupants on the second aircraft were killed as well. Two survived. The exact circumstances of the collision remains unclear as well as both aircraft's registration.

Crash of a Fairchild C-123B-9-FA Provider in Wilmington: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1961
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
54-0672
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wilmington - Wilmington
MSN:
20121
YOM:
1954
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was taking part to an airshow at Wilmington-New Hanover County Airport with six skydivers on board. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of 300 feet, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames. Three passengers were killed while 12 other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando in Hollywood: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1955 at 2040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N9904F
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wilmington – Jacksonville
MSN:
30262
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
RDD207B
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
10000
Captain / Total hours on type:
731.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3300
Circumstances:
While in cruising altitude, the aircraft suddenly pitched down, went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a cornfield located near Hollywood. The aircraft was destroyed and both crewmen were killed.
Probable cause:
An in-flight structural failure resulting from a violent pitch-down induced by the erratic action of nonconforming elevator tab controls.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando into the Sargasso Sea: 28 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1950 at 2203 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N1248N
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
San Juan – Wilmington
MSN:
22496
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
62
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
28
Captain / Total flying hours:
7000
Captain / Total hours on type:
2500.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
150
Aircraft flight hours:
2890
Circumstances:
The flight departed from Isle Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 1724, June 5, 1950, for Wilmington, North Carolina Joe M Halsey was the captain in command, William Holleran, copilot, and Hector Medina, steward In addition to the 62 passengers and three crew members, the aircraft carried 8,436 pounds of fuel and 1,363 pounds of baggage, which resulted in a total aircraft weight at the time of takeoff of 48,258 pounds This was 258 pounds in excess of the certificated limit. Prior to their departure from San Juan, the crew filed with the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Administration) air route traffic control (ARIC) at San Juan an instrument flight plan which described the intended route to he from San Juan to the Caribbean island of South Caicos, then to the Carp Intersection, which is a point located approximately 144 miles southeast of Wilmington, and from there to Wilmington 3 This over-water route carried the flight more than 400 miles east of the mainland of the United States and north of the Bahama Island chain Cruising altitude was to be 6,500 feet, and the estimated time to destination six hours and 50 minutes. No difficulty was experienced by the crew during the first four hours of flight, and in a report transmitted to the San Juan Communications Station at 2117 the crew estimated that its position at 2148 would be 28 degrees 33' north latitude and 74 degrees 58' west longitude This point is 390 miles east of Melbourne, Florida, and 300 miles northeast of Nassau in the Bahamas A few minutes before the flight arrived over this estimated position the crew noticed that the indicated right engine oil quantity had fallen from 32 gallons to 20 Immediately after this was observed, the left engine backfired and lost power. Application of carburetor heat and adjustment of fuel mixture and other engine controls were ineffectual, so the left propeller was feathered Captair Halsey then took over the flight controls from Copilot Holleran who had been piloting, and the aircraft was headed toward Nassau, the closest island with an adequate landing field He then sent a message at 2146 to the Overseas Foreign Aeronautics Communications Station (OFACS) at Miami, which was intercepted by the CAA Communications Station at San Juan, that the left propeller was feathered and the flight was proceeding toward Nassau Power settings for the right engine were increased to 2400 rpm and 30 in manifold pressure The cruising altitude of .6,500 feet was maintained for about five minutes During the transition to single-engine flight the air speed decreased from 178 to 140 miles per hour. Shortly before the left engine was feathered, a second C-46, N-1246N, operated by the same corporation, passed this flight flying in the opposite direction toward San Juan The crew in the second aircraft was contacted and requested to stand by This was done, and they were able to give assistance by maintaining communications with shore stations in the rescue operations which were to follow. Shortly after the 214,6 message that the left propeller was feathered, the crew in N-1248N observed that the indicated oil quantity for the right engine had fallen from 20 to 15 gallons At about the same time the crew also observed that the right engine was overheating with an indicated cylinder head temperature of nearly 300 degrees centigrade Because of this condition, Captain Halsey said that he began a voluntary descent to ditch before complete right engine failure occurred A message was sent at 2154, "Been losing altitude, at 1500" Six minutes later, at 2200, a second message was sent, "200 feet, losing altitude" And then a third, at 2203, "Just about in the drink". An attempt was made to hold altitude at 200 feet above the water until shore stations could obtain radio bearings According to the captain, the right engine speed decreased from 2400 to 2250 rpm and could not he increased Air speed was then reduced to between 100 and 110 miles per hour by retarding the right throttle, and the aircraft was ditched about 20 minutes after the malfunctioning of the left engine began The wing flaps and landing lights were not used. At the time, the weather was clear and the wind was from the southwest at approximately 10 miles per hour The moon had not risen, but the visibility was such that whitecaps could he seen. As soon as the aircraft came to rest in the water, the crew entered the cabin where they opened the main cabin door and the emergency exits The emergency exits were not opened prior to the ditching as prescribed in the company's Operation Manual Some of the passengers then climbed out onto the wings, and others jumped into the sea All seven of the 10-man life rafts were thrown overboard, five floated away in the darkness because their retaining ropes were not held, two were inflated The three crew members and 34 of the 62 passengers were able to swim to and board the two life rafts. The captain stated that he was the last person to leave the aircraft The crew did not take with them the emergency transmitter known as the "Gibson Girl" (which broadcasts on frequencies of 500 and 8280 kilocycles), and it went down with the aircraft The captain, however, saved a flashlight Much of the other emergency equipment on the two crowded life rafts was thrown overboard by the passengers. During the night five flares were fired at intervals but were not observed The second C-46, which had remained in the search area, reported at 2321, one hour and eighteen minutes after N-1248N had ditched, that they saw a blinking light on the water They requested Miami Communications to obtain a fix At 0018, about one hour after this fix was requested, the Federal Communications Commission reported a "fair" fix had been established on the second aircraft, the position being 28 degrees 10' north latitude and 75 degrees 12' west longitude The following morning a Coast Guard aircraft located the survivors, and shortly afterwards the USS Saufley, a U S Navy destroyer, drew alongside and rescued those in the two life rafts One survivor, who had clung to an uninflated raft during the night, was located, but was killed by sharks before he could be taken from the water The position of the rescue was 27 degrees 51' north latitude and 75 degrees 22' west longitude.
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the malfunctioning of both engines from causes unknown.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-201D in Chesterfield: 15 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1949 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N19963
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Boston – New York – Wilmington – Memphis
MSN:
2260
YOM:
1940
Flight number:
EA557
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Captain / Total flying hours:
10013
Captain / Total hours on type:
5595.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1397
Aircraft flight hours:
37840
Circumstances:
The DC-3 was on a regularly scheduled flight en route from La Guardia Field, N Y., to Wilmington, Del., having originated at Boston, Mass., with Memphis, Tenn., as the destination. Takeoff from La Guardia was at 1000, with 12 revenue passengers and a fresh crew consisting of Captain L. R. Matthews, Pilot J. B. Simmons, and Flight Attendant Peter Gobleck. The aircraft was loaded within the prescribed limits for weight and location of center of gravity. The clearance was in accordance with Visual Flight Rules. The flight reported its position as over Freehold, N J., at 1017 and estimated arrival over Philadelphia, Pa., at 1037 and Wilmington, Del., at 1045. This was the last radio contact with the DC-3. The F-6-F-5 was en route from the Naval Air Station Anacostia, DC, to the Naval Air Station, Quonset Point R. I., on a training, or proficiency flight. Takeoff from Anacostia was at 0937 with the aircraft piloted by Lieutenant (j g) Robert V. Poe, USN. Clearance was in accordance with Visual Flight Rules, specifying a cruising speed of 160 knots (184 statute miles per hour) and an estimated time en route of two hours. There is no record of any position report or other radio contact from the F-6-F-5 after it was cleared for takeoff by the Anacostia tower. Weather conditions existing over the route of both aircraft were good. The visibility was 10 miles and there were scattered clouds at 12,000 feet. At about 1030 the F-6-F-5 was observed to perform acrobatics and to "buzz" a small civil aircraft in the neighborhood of Chesterfield, N. J. These maneuvers terminated in collision between the F-6-F-5 and the DC-3. Upon collision the fighter plane lost its left wing and the DC-3 lost the outer portion of its left wing. Both aircraft then fell in erratic paths, losing various parts while falling. The DC-3 burned when it struck the ground. The fighter's pilot was either seriously injured or killed at the time of the collision and was thrown clear of the aircraft during the descent. There was no indication that he attempted to use his parachute. The fighter did not burn on impact. All 16 occupants in both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the reckless conduct of the Navy pilot in performing acrobatic maneuvers on a Civil Airway and his failure to notice the presence of an air carrier aircraft with which he collided.
The following findings were noted:
- The Navy pilot was performing acrobatics on the airway immediately prior to and at the time of collision,
- Neither aircraft was seen by the crew of the other in time to avoid collision.
Final Report:

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman in El Chañar: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1946 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
LV-AAU
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wilmington - Buenos Aires
MSN:
219
YOM:
1943
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew, consisting of David Hemsted, pilot, and Roy Sparks, flight engineer, was performing a delivery flight from Wilmington-DuPont Field, Delaware, to Buenos Aires. Enroute, the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances, killing both occupants.
Other sources reports the aircraft crashed in the region of Caldera, Chile, while on a delivery flight to Santiago de Chile, which is quite amazing for an aircraft registered in Argentina and being delivered to an Argentinian operator.