Stephenville | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Crash landed in Stephenville-Ernest Harmon Airport, apparently following technical problems. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-10-DC Skymaster near Stephenville

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1947

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

42-72670

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Westover - Stephenville

MSN:

10775

YOM:

1945

Location:

Stephenville

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Stephenville from the southwest, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and crashed in the Anguille Mountain Range, about 60 km southwest of Stephenville. The aircraft was written off while all nine occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Douglas C-54E-5-DO Skymaster near Stephenville: 39 killed

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1946 at 0503 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

N90904

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

New York – Gander – Shannon – London – Berlin

MSN:

27290

YOM:

1945

Location:

Stephenville

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3926

Captain / Total hours on type:

1561.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1707

Copilot / Total hours on type:

805

Aircraft flight hours:

3731

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft left New York-La Guardia Airport at 1214LT bound for Berlin, Germany, with intermediate stops in Gander, Shannon and London. While descending over Newfoundland, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was forced to divert to Stephenville-Ernest Harmon Airport where he landed at 1630LT. For operation reasons, the crew should have a 12 hours rest time and the next departure was then scheduled at 0445LT the following morning. By night, the crew started the takeoff roll from runway 07 and after rotation, continued straight ahead when few minutes later, at an altitude of 1,160 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and crashed in a dense wooded area located 7 miles northeast of the airfield. The aircraft christened 'Flagship New England' disintegrated on impact and all 39 occupants were killed. At the time of accident, weather conditions were considered as good with a ceiling at 5,000 feet (overcast) and a visibility above 10 miles.
Crew:
William A. Westerfield, pilot,
Robert Beckman Lehr, copilot,
John B. Tierney Jr., navigator,
James M. Barry, radio officer,
Mark Spelar, flight engineer,
Herbert B. Ewing, purser,
Jerome Lewis, navigator,
Margaret Ann Burleigh, stewardess.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the pilot in command continued in a straight ahead direction after rotation instead of turning to the right to avoid the rising terrain. Unfortunately, it was not possible to ascertain the reason why the crew decided to follow such wrong procedure. In conclusion, on the basic of the foregoing, the Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was the action of the pilot in maintaining the direction of takeoff toward higher terrain over which adequate clearance could not be gained.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-1-DO Skymaster near Cape Saint George: 12 killed

Date & Time: Nov 12, 1944 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

42-107427

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

New York-La Guardia - Stephenville

MSN:

7446

YOM:

1943

Location:

Cape Saint George

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

All along the route do Stephenville, the weather conditions were considered as good. While approaching the destination, the winds went stronger. Some ten minutes prior to the scheduled arrival time, by night, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near Cape Saint George, west of Stephenville. Nine occupants were killed while nine others were seriously injured. Few days later, three of them died from their injuries.
Source & photos: http://planecrashgirl.ca/

Probable cause:

It appears the pilot checked the weather often before and throughout the flight, but the aircraft was still blown off-course by high velocity winds. The pilot also failed to make proper use of normally functioning radio navigational aids to check the position of the aircraft prior to and during descent. The aircraft collided with the side of a hill at what is locally known as Garden Hill on the Port-au-Port peninsula.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-5-DO Skymaster into the Atlantic Ocean: 26 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1944 at 0300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

41-107470

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

London – Keflavik – Stephenville – New York

MSN:

7489

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The last radio contact with the crew was about three hours into the flight after departure from Keflavik. SAR operations were conducted southeast of Greenland but they were eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. All six crew members were employees of the Transcontinental & Western Air but were conducting this flight under the Air Transport Command. All passengers were US Army personnel flying back home.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster on Mt Fort: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

41-37277

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Stephenville - Washington DC

MSN:

3067

YOM:

1943

Location:

Millinocket

Maine

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 3,900 feet, the four engine aircraft hit the east slope of Mt Fort located some 35 miles northwest of Millinocket, Maine. The passenger and all seven crew members were killed.