United States of America

Nineteen minutes after his departure from Elmendorf AFB, while cruising at an altitude of 4,200 feet, the crew contacted ATC when the airplane struck Mt Bald located about 11 miles east of Talkeetna. As the airplane was fully loaded with fuel, a huge explosion occurred on impact. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight crew members were killed.
Crew (508th Air Refueling Squadron):
1st Lt Thomas H. Patton, pilot,
2nd Lt James D. Dellinger, copilot,
1st Lt Lionel E. Reid, navigator,
1st Lt Luther G. Lamm,
M/Sgt Otto D. McAdams,
T/Sgt Thurman C. Rainer,
S/Sgt John B. Pyland,
A2c William P. Hodgson.

N1245V departed Greater Pittsburgh Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 1850, December 20, 1956, on an IFR flight plan via airways V-35, V-6, V-168, V-30, and V-1 to New York International Airport. Jamaica, New York. The crow consisted of Captain Roy E. Rollo and Copilot Lewis Thomas Williams. Mr. Alden Roach, President of Columbia-Geneva Steel Company, was the only passenger. At the time of takeoff from Pittsburgh, the gross weight of the aircraft was 19,421 pounds (maximum allowable gross load 19,500 pounds) and the weight was properly distributed. The purpose of the flight was to transport Mr. Roach to New York International Airport. The flight reported to Pittsburgh Air Route Traffic Center at 1905 when it was over New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, altitude 7,000 feet. A revised routing clearance to New York International Airport was issued to the flight at 1906 by ARTC to proceed via airways V-35, V-6, V-168, and Blue 18, and to climb to and maintain 9,000 feet. 2 Accordingly, N1245V reported leaving 7,000 and 8,000 feet at 1907 and 1909, respectively. At 1921 the Civil Aeronautics Administration Communications Station at Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, received a call from the flight giving its position as over the Coalport intersection at 1916, estimating Philipsburg at 1930. Philipsburg radio then requested N1245V to change over to the frequency of the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and this message was acknowledged. This was the last radio contact with the flight. At 1928 Philipsburg radio received a telephone call, from a location 24 miles east of the Coalport intersection and approximately 12 miles south-southwest of the Philipsburg Airport, to the effect that an aircraft, later identified as N1245V, had crashed and was burning in a nearby mountainous wooded area. The Philipsburg 1928 weather sequence was: Ceiling measured 400 feet, overcast; visibility 2 miles; fog; temperature 40; dewpoint 40; wind calm; altimeter 30.04.

Following an uneventful cargo flight, the crew started the approach to Long Beach under VFR. On final, the airplane went through a patch of fog. In zero visibility, the airplane descended until it struck the ground and crashed few dozen yards short of runway threshold. All four crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The purpose of this flight was to take six passengers, all Phillips' employees. from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Company Pilot Joe Mark Bower and company Copilot-Mechanic Robert Ellwood Ulrich were assigned to the flight by the Aviation Department of Phillips. When the aircraft was loaded and prior to leaving the ramp Copilot Ulrich called the company radio station, located on the airport, requested taxiing instructions, and asked for an IFR clearance to Salt Lake City, nonstop. The company radio operator obtained the desired clearance from ARTC through Tulsa, and immediately relayed it to the aircraft. A flight plan previously prepared contained the following information: Proposed time of departure 0805; estimated elapsed time 5 hours, 15 minutes; fuel on board 6 hours. Departure was at 0826. At that time the gross weight of the aircraft was 19,284 pounds (maximum allowable was 19.500 pounds), and the load was properly distributed with respect to allowable center of gravity limitations. About 14 minutes after takeoff, at approximately 0840, Copilot Ulrich called Bartlesville Radio and stated that the flight was having engine trouble, with an oil temperature over 100 degrees, and requested that the IFR flight plan be canceled as they might return. The Bartlesville operator complied and notified Tulsa. At the next contact, about 0845, the copilot again called Bartlesville Radio stating that they could not unfeather the propeller. At that time he asked the Bartlesville operator to determine the condition of the runways at Tulsa (about 40 miles to the south). This information was obtained and immediately relayed to the copilot, whereupon he said. "Going to Tulsa, changing over." Bartlesville's single 4,600-foot runway had patches of snow and ice while all runways at Tulsa Airport were clear. This was the last radio contact with the flight. None of the messages had mentioned which engine was giving trouble; none indicated any anxiety or stress. There is no known record of N 28366 having made radio contact with any ground station or aircraft other than Bartlesville Radio. About the same time as the last radio contact, the Bartlesville radio operator and Phillips' chief pilot saw the aircraft passing south of the Bartlesville Airport heading easterly. They estimated its altitude to be 3,000 feet above the ground. The aircraft continued east for about 4-1/2 miles, until beyond the more congested part of Bartlesville, and then turned to the right about 90 degrees toward Tulsa. A number of persons saw the flight after it turned toward Tulsa. When it had been on this southerly heading for about four miles the aircraft was seen to plunge to earth in a manner described by several witnesses as a spin. Impact with the rolling terrain was on a heading of about 240 degrees, while the wings were about level, and while the nose-down angle was close to vertical. An explosion and intense fire ensued, largely destroying the general structure of the aircraft.

Soon after a night takeoff from Castle AFB, while climbing to a height of 500 feet, the aircraft adopted a 5° nose down attitude. The crew elected to correct this but the aircraft went into a descent and struck the ground 4 miles north of the airbase and exploded on impact, killing all 10 crew members.
Crew:
Cpt John A. Goddard, aircraft commander,
Cpt Richard M. Wikstrom, pilot,
Cpt Leland Fulton Burch, navigator,
Maj Robert Louis Sherman, ECM operator
Cpt Jack Eugene Welch, radar-bombardier,
Maj Bryant Guernsey Gay, electronic counter measure operator,
T/Sgt William J. Maguire, radio operator,
Cpt Nick Sam Koss, radar-bombardier instructor,
Cpt Charles Warren Schweer, ECM instructor,
T/Sgt Gerald Everett Riley, tail gunner.

Went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances into the Potomac River off Potomac Heights, Maryland. A crew member was rescued while both other occupants were killed.

Trans World Airlines Flight 163 is a regularly scheduled domestic operation between Kansas City, Missouri, and Los Angeles, California, with intermediate stops at Topeka and Wichita, Kansas; Amarillo, Texas; Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Las Vegas, Nevada. A scheduled crew change is made at Albuquerque. There, on November 15, 1956. Captain Arthur G. deFabry, First Officer James P. Rapattoni, and Hostess Anne J. Zeman boarded Flight 163 as its crew to complete the remaining segments. The flight was routine to Las Vegas where it landed at 1440. During the short ground time at Las Vegas the aircraft was serviced and the crew performed routine duties for continuation of the flight to Los Angeles. There was no apparent need for maintenance on the aircraft and none was performed. An Instrument Flight Rules flight plan was prepared and filed because of instrument weather conditions over the latter portion of the flight segment to Los Angeles. Weather conditions at Las Vegas, however, were clear. At 1449 Captain deFabry, seated in the captain’s position, taxied N 40404 from the Las Vegas terminal to runup position beside runway 7 where the required pretakeoff checks were accomplished. The aircraft and equipment responded normally. The flight was issued an instrument clearance by Air Route Traffic Control. At this time, according to the company load manifest, the gross weight of the aircraft was 41.801 pounds, well under the maximum allowable for takeoff, 43,650 pounds. The load was properly distributed with respect to the center of gravity limitations of the aircraft. With Captain deFabry operating the aircraft, Flight 163 took off at 1456. The takeoff was routine and was followed by a climbing left turn to gain altitude and establish a southwesterly course toward Los Angeles. At 1501, when over the northern perimeter of the city, First Officer Rapattoni radioed the Las Vegas tower stating the flight was returning to the airport, engine out. The Las Vegas tower controllers immediately notified all other traffic to remain clear and alerted emergency equipment. Flight 163 was cleared to land, any runway, and informed that the wind was calm. Captain deFabry elected to use runway 7 and First Officer Rapattoni notified the tower. Emergency equipment was then dispatched into position on the taxiway parallel to that runway. N40404 was soon observed on a wide base leg for runway 7 and as it turned onto the final approach. Position and altitude of the flight seemed normal. As the aircraft drew closer its extended gear could be seen and its left propeller was clearly visible, stopped and feathered. As the aircraft passed over the runway threshold its alignment position, and altitude seemed good; however, to nearly all observers excessive speed was apparent. The aircraft floated a considerable distance down the runway before touching it. It then bounced several times, after which an application of power was heard, obviously :m an attempt to go around. The Martin climbed, veered to the left, and its left wing gradually lowered. It seemed to “struggle” to continue flight and its airspeed decreased visibly. Seconds later the aircraft struck the ground, left wing low, just inside the airport boundary. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were clear, visibility 65 miles, and the wind was calm. A large cloud of dust, raised by the accident, hung over the scene and gradually lifted nearly vertically in evidence of the calm wind.

Shortly after takeoff from Lowry AFB, while climbing, the aircraft suffered a loss of power on all engines. The captain decided to divert to the nearest Airport, Denver-Stapleton. On final, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames one mile short of runway 17 threshold. All 21 occupants escaped while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

The crew was performing a flight from Sewart AFB (Smyrna, Tennessee) to Harrisburg-Intl Airport (Olmsted AFB). After passing over Newburg, the crew did not realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 7 miles north of the city. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all four crew members have been killed.

The twin engine aircraft landed too far down a wet runway and was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest in a ditch. There were no casualties but the airplane was written off.