Detroit – Erie – Bradford – Harrisburg – Washington DC

On December 24, 1968 at 08:12 PM, Detroit – Erie – Bradford – Harrisburg – Washington DC experienced a crash involving Convair CV-580, operated by Allegheny Airlines, with the event recorded near Bradford Pennsylvania.

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

47 people were known to be on board, 20 fatalities were recorded, 27 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 42.6%.

Crew on board: 6, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 41, passenger fatalities: 17, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 departed Detroit, MI for a flight to Washington, DC with intermediate stops at Erie, Bradford and Harrisburg, PA. The Convair CV-580 took off from Erie at 19:46. At 20:06 Flight 736 reported over the VOR outbound at the beginning of the instrument approach procedure. Erie Approach Control then told the crew to contact the Bradford Flight Service Station (FSS). At 20:08:47 the flight reported that they were doing the procedure turn inbound for runway 32 and Bradford FSS told them wind was 290 degrees at 15 knots. The Convair descended in light snow showers until the aircraft contacted trees along terrain which had an average upslope of 1.5deg some 2,5 NM short of the runway. The airplane cut a swath through the trees and impacted the ground at a point 800 feet from the initial tree contact. The fuselage came to rest inverted.

Aircraft reference details include registration N5802, MSN 410, year of manufacture 1957.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 41.7747°, -76.5265°.