United States of America

A United Air Lines, Inc., Boeing 727-22, N7036U, Flight 389 (UAL 389) was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger/cargo flight from LaGuardia Airport, New York to O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. The aircraft had arrived at LaGuardia, on the date of the accident, following a trip from Los Angeles, California, with stops at Sacramento, California, Reno, Nevada, Denver, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois. The flight crew of UAL 389 reported for duty at LaGuardia Airport one hour before scheduled departure where they prepared for the flight to Chicago. The stewardesses arrived with the aircraft from Chicago. Persons known to have been in contact with the crew prior to their departure from New York noticed nothing unusual about their behavior or appearance. UAL 389 departed LaGuardia at 1952 on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan at FL 350 and estimated their arrival time at O'Hare to be 2127. The crew reported at FL 350 at 2011.35. At 2102 UAL 389 came under control of the Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) reporting its altitude as FL 350 and was cleared to the O'Hare Airport via Pullman VORTAC direct to the Northbrook VORTAC, direct O'Hare and to maintain FL 350. This clearance was acknowledged correctly and the crew was advised that radar contact had been established. At 2103 the ARTCC controller cleared UAL 389 to descend to FL 240 and to "start descent now through 31" (FL 310). UAL 389 replied "...down to 240, leaving three five." At 2106 UAL 389 was cleared to continue its descent to 14,000 feet and given an altimeter setting of 29.90 inches for O'Hare. This message was acknowledged immediately and in reply to the controller's inquiry the crew reported they were leaving FL 280 "now." At 2109 the flight was instructed to change frequencies and within the same minute reported out of FL 260 descending to fourteen thousand. This was the last altitude information received from the crew. At 2111 the flight was cleared to descend to 6,000 feet and the clearance was immediately acknowledged correctly. At 2118:35 control of the flight was passed to Chicago Approach Control (ORD). The radar target of UAL 389 was in the vicinity of the Sturgeon Intersection (intersection of the 011 radial of Chicago Heights and 076 radial of Northbrook VORTAC, 28 miles east of Northbrook VORTAC). At 2118:38 the target was observed approximately 2 miles east of the intersection. At 2119:36 the crew contacted ORD and was advised that radar contact had been established. At this time the aircraft target was 2-3 miles west of Sturgeon. UAL 389 was cleared to maintain 6,000 feet and to depart the Northbrook VORTAC on a heading of 240 degrees. The flight was advised that instrument landing system approaches were in progress on runway 14R at O'Hare and that the current O'Hare altimeter setting was 29.93. The pilot read back the altimeter setting incorrectly, the controller corrected him, and the pilot repeated it correctly. This was the last communication received from the flight and ended at 2120:03. The airplane crashed into Lake Michigan and exploded upon impact. All 30 occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Long Beach Airport, while climbing by night and a limited visibility due to fog, one of the engine failed. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the twin engine aircraft struck power cables, stalled and crashed in flames in Lakewood. The airplane was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 8 occupants were killed.

On final approach to Iron Mountain-Ford Airport, while on a local training mission, the crew voluntarily shut down one engine to simulate a failure. Due to insufficient speed, the airplane stalled and crashed in a field located few miles short of runway. While both occupants were slightly injured, the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Allegheny Airlines, Inc., Flight 604, a Convair 340/440, N8415H, crashed 5 miles east-northeast of the Williamsport-Lycoming County Airport, Montoursville, Pennsylvania, on July 23, 1965. The 36 passengers, 3 crew members, and 1 jumpseat rider survived but received varying degrees of injuries. The flight, regularly scheduled from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Newark, New Jersey, with intermediate stops at Dubois, Phillipsburg, Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, departed Runway 09 at 1503. e.d.t. Shortly after takeoff smoke and fire were observed coming from the right engine and at approximately 1505:30 the captain advised "Six oh four is coming back in, we've got the right engine feathered.” The crash occurred moments later on the crest of a ridge approximately 600 feet above the airport elevation. The aircraft was destroyed by fire. The failure of the right engine is attributed to the failure of the front row master rod and all the associated link rods. Damage to the rod ends precluded any determination of the cause of the master rod failure.

The pilot was engaged in a crop spraying mission on cotton fields. While flying at low height in marginal weather conditions, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

After takeoff, while in initial climb, one of the engine failed. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a field and came to rest in flames. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane owned by George J. Darneille was destroyed by fire.

Shortly after takeoff from Parkersburg-Wood County Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in a field. The airplane was destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Marathon Airport, while in initiale climb, both engines failed simultaneously. The aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea few dozen yards off shore. The pilot was uninjured and quickly rescued while the airplane was lost.

The crew was engaged in a firefighting mission in the region of Salmon, Idaho. While cruising a low height, the crew failed to realize his speed was too low when the airplane stalled and crashed in flames. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were killed.

The aircraft made a "firm" landing, in heavy rain, about 1,050 feet past the approach end of runway 18. When the crew's efforts to stop the aircraft were ineffective, and the captain was convinced that they were going off the end of the runway, he used differential power and rudder to cock the aircraft to the left. The aircraft slid off the end of the runway, went through the US localizer antenna building, struck a dirt blast mound, slid up over the mound, and came to rest with the nose section in the perimeter road between the blast mound and a river levee. Of the 60 passengers and 6 crew members aboard, three passengers and two crew members received minor injuries. The aircraft received substantial damage although no major fire occurred. The passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft without major difficulty.