Boeing 307 Stratoliner

Smithsonian National Air %26 Space Museum

The crew had originally planned to practice landings at an airport about 20 minutes away, then stop, refuel the airplane, and subsequently return to the original departure airport. Prior to the flight, the crew discussed fuel endurance, which was calculated to be 2 hours based on the captain's knowledge of the airplane's fuel consumption, and the quantity of fuel indicated on the gauges. The fuel tanks were not dipped. The flight was made at 1,500 feet msl. Upon reaching the practice airport, the crew conducted one full stop landing, then taxied back for takeoff. During takeoff, an engine had a momentary overspeed, and the crew decided to return to the original departure airport without refueling. Approaching the original departure airport, the airplane had to delay landing for about 7 minutes for a manual gear extension. Upon completion, it turned back toward the airport, and was about 6 miles from the runway when fuel pressure for one of the engines dropped. The boost pumps were turned on; however, the engine lost power. A low fuel pressure light then illuminated for another engine. The captain called for the flight engineer to switch fuel feed to another tank, but the flight engineer responded, "we're out of fuel." The remaining engines subsequently lost power, and the captain ditched the airplane into a bay. The time from first takeoff until ditching was 1 hour, 19 minutes. The airplane had flown 39 hours since restoration, and exact fuel capacities, fuel flow calculations and unusable fuel amounts had not been established. A dipping chart had been prepared, with one person in the cockpit and one person with a yardstick putting fuel in a main tank in 25-gallon increments. However, the data had not been verified, and dipping was not considered to be part of the pre-flight inspection.

Cambodia Air Commercial

Just after liftoff, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames shortly after the runway end. Two crew members and 17 passengers were killed while 20 others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Royal Air Lao

Upon landing at Luang Prabang Airport, in unclear circumstances, the left wing struck a Royal Lao Air Force C-47 and was damaged. There were no injuries but the aircraft was not repaired.

International Commission for Supervision and Control

The aircraft departed Vientiane-Wattay Airport at 1505LT bound for Hanoi. About 15 minutes later, the crew contacted ATC and gave his ETA at Hanoi for 1644LT. While descending to Hanoi-Gia Lam Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in an isolated area. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the 13 occupants was found. It is believed the airplane may have been shot down by soldiers based in a zone under North-Vietnam control. All four crew members were French citizens while the nine passengers were employees of the ICSC.

Air Nautic

The Boeing SA.307 Stratoliner F-BELZ arrived at Bastia (BIA), France from Nice (NCE) at 05:25 UTC. The plane took off again for the return flight via Ajaccio (AJA), Corsica at 11:49 and was cleared for a cruising altitude of FL120, estimating Ajaccio at 12:20 UTC. Last radio contact with the flight was at 12:09 when the flight crew replied to the weather and active runway information from Ajaccio Approach. At 12:12 the flight flew into a sheer rock face of Monte Renoso which is located 45 km from the Ajaccio VOR on the 048 radial. Impact was at an altitude of 2,285 m (7,500 feet) and about 50 m (165 feet) below the summit. The aircraft rebounded after impact and fell about 100 m down the slope of the mountain. All 25 occupants were killed, among them members of the Bastia Basketball team who were flying to Nice for the National Championship. The aircraft was totally destroyed. Crew: Roger Mercier, pilot, Fernand Delime, copilot, Antoine Blois, mechanic.

Aigle Azur

Shortly after takeoff from Saigon-Tan Son Nhat Airport, while climbing, the crew informed ground about the failure of the engine n°4 and was cleared to return for a safe landing. At this time, the visibility was estimated between 500 and 1,000 meters. While returning to the airport, the crew was informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions with a visibility reduced to 80 meters and strong winds. In such conditions, the captain decided to attempt a go around when the airplane banked right and crashed near the runway 25 threshold. All 28 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Quaker City Airways

Parked since few months on a regional airport, the aircraft was recently purchased by a new owner who wanted to know the exact consumption of oil and fuel. A test flight was scheduled with two test pilots. To be able to perform a longer flight, additional fuel tanks were installed in the cabin. While cruising at a relative low altitude, the crew informed ATC that a fire erupted in the cabin and elected to make an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in flames in a field located 15 miles from Madras and came to rest. While both pilots were able to evacuate with no injury, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Boeing Airplane Company

The four engine aircraft (first prototype) left Seattle-Boeing Field at 1257LT with few different representative of TWA and KLM. At 1312LT, a radio message was transmitted from NX19901 to the Boeing Aircraft Company radio Station located at Seattle, which message gave the position of the aircraft as being between Tacoma and Mount Rainier at an altitude of 11,000 feet. Some two or three minutes later, while flying at a comparatively slow rate of speed in the vicinity of Alder, the aircraft stalled and began to spin in a nose down attitude. After completing two or three returns in the spin, during which power was applied, it recovered from the spin and began to dive. The aircraft partially recovered from the dive at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet above sea level, during which recovery it began to disintegrate. Outboard sections of the left and right wings failed upward and broke entirely loose from the aircraft. Major portions of the vertical fin and portions of the rudder were carried away by the wing wreckage. The outboard section of the left elevator separated from the stabilizer and both fell to the ground detached. The right horizontal tail surface, being held on by the fairing along the top surface and also by the elevator trim tab cables, remained with the fuselage. The number one engine nacelle also broke loose from the aircraft and fell to the ground separately. The main body of the aircraft settled vertically and struck the ground in an almost level attitude both longitudinally and laterally at a point approximately 1.200 feet above sea level. Watches and clocks aboard the aircraft, which were broken by force of the impact, indicated the time of the accident as approximately 1317LT. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all ten occupants were killed. Crew: Julius A. Barr, first pilot, Earl A. Ferguson, copilot, Benjamin J. Pearson. alternate copilot, Harlan Hull, alternate copilot, Ralph L. Cram, first aerodynamist, John Kylstra, assistant to aerodynamist, Albert G. von Baumhauer, assistant to aerodynamist, Pieter Guillonard, recorder and photographer, William C. Doyle, operator of the oscillograph, Harry T. West, engineering officer.