Otis - Otis

On July 11, 1965 at 10:22 PM, Otis - Otis experienced a crash involving Lockheed C-121 Super Constellation, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Atlantic Ocean All World.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

19 people were known to be on board, 16 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 84.2%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 15, passenger fatalities: 13, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. Lockheed EC-121 55-0136 took off from runway 23 at Otis AFB at 21:33 for an Active Air Defense mission to Air 1 station #2. Estimated time en route was 9:20 and 7:45 on station #2 at FL150. The flight was cleared for cross-rip departure 21 to Nantucket then, Control Extension 1144 to Cod intersection, direct station #2, climb to and maintain 15,000 feet. The route was flown as cleared and Honey 63 reported its position through Andrews Airways as over Cod Intersection at 21:49, FL150, estimating station #2 at 21:57. At approximately 22:10, the crew reported that the number three engine was on fire and that an emergency was being declared. Later, transmissions were received by a KC-135 and Brunswick Approach Control that the aircraft had lost number two engine and that number three was feathered and on fire. Position was reported as about 125nm from Nantucket Tacan on the 090 degree radial and clearance was requested to Nantucket. At approximately 22:13, the pilot reported, "preparing for ditching, we have number three engine on fire, and number two is not so good". The pilot took up a heading of 270 degrees magnetic to the nearest land. The wind aloft was 230 degrees at 40 knots. A ditching was carried out at 22:22. The aircraft broke in two places on the fuselage with at least partial wing separation. Forward break was in the latrine/galley area (station area 592) and the rear break was in the APS 103 area (station area 962). At approximately 09:00 the next morning, three survivors and the bodies of nine other men, were picked up by whale boats from German Navy Destroyer "D170" and US Destroyer "Barry" at 41 degrees 40 minutes north, 67 degrees 37 minutes west. The remaining seven men were missing and presumed dead. Crew: Cpt Murray J. Brody, pilot, Lt Fred Ambrosia, pilot, 1st Lt Thomas Fiedler, copilot, 1st Lt Bruce E. Witcher, navigator, 2nd Lt Ira J. Husik, navigator, Cpt Edward N. Aneka, Cpt Michael R. Barbolla, T/Sgt Eugene J. Schreivogel, T/Sgt Gilbert T. Armstrong, flight engineer, S/Sgt Francis Griffith, radio operator, S/Sgt Raymond M. Washam, radio operator, A3c Charles A. Podjacki, radar technician, S/Sgt ,John L. Howard Sanford, radar technician, A1c George R. West, radar technician, A1c Charles K. Sawyer, radar technician, A1c John N. Puopolo, radar operator, A2c Charles H. Williams, radar technician, A2c William E. Howe, radar technician, A2c David A. Surles, radar technician. Source: http://www.dean-boys.com/extras/lost/136.htm

Aircraft reference details include registration 55-0136, MSN 4409, year of manufacture 1956.