Midland - Boston

On March 31, 1949 at 10:30 AM, Midland - Boston experienced a crash involving Beechcraft D18, operated by Dow Chemical Company, with the event recorded near London Ontario.

The flight was categorized as executive/corporate/business and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 83.3%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The twin engine aircraft departed Midland Airport, Michigan, at 0910LT bound for Boston, carrying four passengers and two pilots. A little more than an hour into the flight, after passing over London, Ontario, the crew encountered difficulties and contacted London Airport and declared an emergency situation. The crew decided to divert to London Airport and reduced his altitude. While flying in poor weather conditions, the airplane passed just over a house (12 feet high) then crashed in flames in an open field. A passenger was able to evacuate the cabin and was slightly injured while five other occupants were killed. The aircraft was destroyed. The main passenger, Willard Dow, President of the Dow Chemical Company, was enroute to Boston to take part to a conference given by Winston Churchill. It appears that the regular crew refused to perform the flight due to extreme poor weather conditions (stormy weather approaching from the east). Thus, Mr. Dow asked a second crew to complete the flight. Crew: A. J. Bowie, pilot, † Fred Clements, copilot. † Passengers: Willard Dow, † Martha Dow, † Calvin Campbell, Mrs. Campbell. †

Aircraft reference details include registration NC90511, MSN A-376, year of manufacture 1947.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 42.9837°, -81.2496°.