Flying Tiger Line

Douglas DC-8

The airplane departed Los Angeles for a flight to Da Nang AFB, Vietnam with intermediate stops at San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, Cold Bay, AK, Tokyo, Okinawa and Cam Ranh Bay. Flight 45 departed Tokyo 09:29 for the IFR flight to Okinawa. The flight proceeded without difficulty to Okinawa, and was cleared for an en route descent to an altitude of 1,000 feet msl to make a precision radar approach to runway 18 at Naha AFB. At 11:31 the flight was advised "... have reduced visibility on final ... tower just advised approach lights and strobe lights are on ....". At 11:32:46, a new altimeter setting of 25.84 inches was given to the crew and acknowledged. The landing checklist, including full flaps. setting of radio altimeters, gear down and locked, and spoilers armed, was completed at 11:33:49. At slightly less than 5 miles from touchdown, the crew was instructed to begin the descent onto glidepath and was cleared to land. The approach continued, with various heading changes and, at 11:34:53, the crew was advised that they were slightly below the glidepath 3 miles from touchdown. Additional vectors were provided and at 11:35:14, 2 miles from touchdown, the crew was again advised "...dropping slightly below glidepath ... you have a 10 knot tailwind." At 11:35:34, the controller advised the crew that they were on glidepath. The DC-8 continued to descend and broke out of heavy rain and low clouds at an estimated altitude of 75 to 100 feet. The aircraft struck the water approximately 2,200 feet short of the runway at a speed of 144 kts.

Canadair CL-44

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Tachikawa AFB to Ðà N<U+1EB5>ng on a subcontract mission for the US Air Force, carrying various equipments and goods. On final approach to Ðà N<U+1EB5>ng Airport by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls and fog. In low visibility, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane struck an obstacle, stalled and crashed in flames in the district of Binh Thai located few dozen yards short of runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and several houses were destroyed. All four crew members were killed as well as 107 people on the ground. 50 others were injured, among them 19 seriously.

Canadair CL-44

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Indianapolis to Chambers Field NAS in Norfolk. The copilot was in command on final approach to runway 10 and failed to realise that the aircraft position was inappropriate. The airplane touched down with its left main gear and nose gear first. At impact, the left wing was torn off and out of control, the airplane crashed inverted and burst into flames. All six crew members were quickly evacuated and the aircraft was totally destroyed.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Los Angeles to Chicago. While cruising at the assigned altitude of 13,000 by night, the four engine airplane struck the south face of California Peak (13,849 feet high) located about 21 miles northeast of Alamosa, Colorado. The wreckage was found a day later 150 feet below the summit and all three crew members have been killed. Crash photo by Mark Hunt, copilot's son.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

On December 14, 1962, at 2212 P.s.t., a Flying Tiger Line Inc., Super Constellation, N6913C, crashed about 1-1/4 miles west of the Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank California, during an ILS approach to runway 7. All five persons on board the aircraft and three persons on the ground sustained fatal injuries. The last radio communication with N6913C was the flight's acknowledgement of its radar-observed position two miles from the end of the runway on the localizer course. Twenty seconds later the aircraft crashed Into a fog-shrouded residential/industrial area.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

he Super Constellation departed Gander at 17:09 GMT for a military (MATS) charter flight to Frankfurt. Three hours later, at FL210 a fire developed in the no. 3 engine, which was shut down and the propeller feathered. The no. 1 engine oversped 5 minutes later when the flight engineer closed the no. 1 engine firewall shut-off valve in error. The crew were not able to restart the engine, and wanted to divert to Shannon with METO power on the no. 4 engine and reduced power on engine no. 2. The no. 2 engine lost power and finally failed, forcing the crew to carry out a ditching. The left wing broke off, but the fuselage remained intact. The cabin filled with water fast and the aircraft sank nose first in about 10 minutes. The Swiss merchant ship christened 'Celerina' was the first to be on site and its crew was able to evacuate 48 wounded people while 28 others, among them five crew members, were killed. The aircraft sank and was lost.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

On March 15, 1962, sometime after its last position report at 1422 G.m.t. (22 minutes past midnight, local time), a Flying Tiger Line Inc., Lockheed 1049H, N6921C, operated as Military Air Transport Service Flight 739/14, disappeared west of the position 13 degrees 14' North Latitude and 140 degrees 00' East Longitude en route from Agana Naval Air Station, Guam, to Clark Air Force Base, Philippine Islands. A widespread and intensive search was initiated after the aircraft failed to arrive at Clark Air Force Base at 1916 G.m.t., its estimated time of arrival. The flight was officially declared missing at 2227 G.m.t. which was the estimated fuel exhaustion time for the aircraft. All occupants, 96 military passengers and a crew of 11, are missing and presumed dead. Crew members of a surface vessel witnessed what appeared to have been a midair explosion at 1530 G.m.t., near the position and at the time estimated by the pilot of N6921C for his next scheduled position report. No wreckage or debris which could be definitely associated with the aircraft has been found.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

A Lockheed Constellation, model L-1049H, N 6911C, owned by The Flying Tiger Line Inc., and being operated under contract with the Military Air Transport Service, crashed during the hours of darkness at Adak, Alaska, March 15, 1962, at 1214 G.m.t. Impact and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft. There were seven occupants, all crew members. Six received minor injuries and one, the duty flight engineer, was trapped in the cockpit and died in the fire. This was a scheduled cargo flight, designated by the carrier as Flight No. FTL 7816/14. It originated at Travis Air Force Base, California, for Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, with stops planned at Cold Bay, Alaska, Adak, Alaska, and Misawa, Japan. Shortly after departure from Travis Air Force Base, buffeting developed and the aircraft was landed back at Travis. Inspection disclosed an open hydraulic reservoir access door. This was closed and secured and the flight proceeded uneventfully to Cold Bay, Alaska. The flight from Cold Bay to the vicinity of Adak was also uneventful, with the copilot flying the aircraft from the left seat and the captain acting as copilot in the right seat. Instrument weather prevailed at Adak and a ground controlled approach (GCA) was started. The flight was advised several times that it was below the glide slope and then was advised to execute a missed approach. The aircraft’s captain replied that the field was in sight. The approach continued, visually. At a point 328 feet short of the runway threshold and four feet below its level the landing gear struck rocks. The main landing gear was torn off and the aircraft slid about 2,000 feet on the runway coining to rest just off its edge. A severe fire developed.

Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation

The crew was performing a flight from Travis AFB to Tachikawa AFB with intermediate stops at Hickam Field and Wake Island, carrying a load of various goods. While approaching Tachikawa AFB in poor weather conditions, the four engine aircraft struck the slope of Mt Oyama (1,252 metres high) located 24 km west of the airbase. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all eight occupants were killed.

Curtiss C-46 Commando

The crew was completing a night VFR approach to Pelly Bay Airport, NWT, when the left wing struck the ground. The airplane crashed in a rocky area located few km short of runway and was destroyed. All three occupants were injured and evacuated.