Monterey - Ardmore - Columbus

On April 22, 1966 at 08:30 PM, Monterey - Ardmore - Columbus experienced a crash involving Lockheed L-188 Electra, operated by American Flyers Airline, with the event recorded near Ardmore Oklahoma.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

98 people were known to be on board, 83 fatalities were recorded, 15 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 84.7%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 93, passenger fatalities: 78, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Monterey Airport, California, on a charter flight to Columbus, Georgia, with an intermediate stop at Ardmore Municipal Airport, Oklahoma, carrying 93 US soldiers and a crew of five on behalf of the Military Air Command. Following an uneventful flight from Monterey, the crew started the descent to Ardmore Municipal Airport by night and marginal weather conditions. An ADF instrument approach to runway 08 was abandoned and the crew decided to follow a visual approach to runway 30. While descending to runway 30 in poor visibility, the captain (also PIC) suffered a heart attack. The aircraft commenced an uncontrolled descent slightly banked to the right until it struck the ground and disintegrated about 1,5 mile short of runway 30. All five crew members and 75 passengers were killed while 18 others were seriously injured. Few hours later, three of the survivors died from their injuries.

Aircraft reference details include registration N183H, MSN 1136, year of manufacture 1961.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 34.1729°, -97.1309°.