Transocean Air Lines Flight 942
.jpg){kind=spacer} Transocean Air Lines Plane similar to the plane involved in the accident, with the same Douglas DC-4 type. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 20, 1953 |
| Summary | Crash due to loss of control |
| Site | Oakland, California |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-4 |
| Operator | Transocean Air Lines |
| Registration | N88942 |
| Flight origin | Roswell, New Mexico |
| Destination | Oakland, California |
| Occupants | 35 |
| Passengers | 30 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 35 |
| Missing | 4 |
| Survivors | 2 |
Transocean Air Lines Flight 942 was a military flight operated by Transocean Air Lines. On 6:36 p.m. on March 20, 1953, the flight, a Douglas DC-4, crashed in a barley field on Oakland, California, killing all 35 people on board.
Background
[edit]The flight was proposed to transfer military personnel following the company's contract with the United States Department of Defense, specifically the 509th Bombardment Wing, from the Walker Air Force Base in New Mexico. Since multiple aircraft used to fly the personnel were gone, the army charted the plane to transport them.[1] Before the flight, thousands of military personnel and tons of supplies were carried by Transocean planes.[2] Before departure, a Defense Visual Flight Rules plan was approved with the Air Route Traffic Control, suggesting a 500 feet (150 metres) altitude by Red Airway 88 to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Green Airway 4 to Palmdale, California, Blue Airway 14 and Amber Airway 1 to Bakersfield, California, and Blue Airway 10 to Oakland, California.[3]: 1
Aircraft
[edit]The aircraft was a Douglas DC-4 aircraft, with the serial number 36076 and the tail number N88942.[3]: 1 It had a total of 5976 total airframe hours.[4] The accident was the 38th worst accident of this aircraft type, and the 23rd worst accident of the type at the time.[5] The flight contained 30 passengers, with a crew consisting of five people, with a total of 35 people. The crew consisted of Chief Pilot Harvey W. Rodgers,[6] First Officer F.W. Patchett, Captain H.E. Hum, and stewardesses V. Sandridge and L. Chapman.[3]: 1 The chief pilot had a total amount of 8,312 flight hours, 5,570 from the same type. While the co-pilot had a total of 10,656 flight hours, 7,379 from the same type.[5]
Flight
[edit]At 12:11 p.m. on March 20, 1953, the flight departed from Roswell, New Mexico, to Oakland, California. The trip was expected to take six hours and 35 minutes, with sufficient fuel for 10 hours. The weight at the time of takeoff was 63,817 pounds (28,947 kilograms), with an allowable gross weight of 73,000 lb (33,000 kg). After takeoff, the flight was normal. At 2:51 p.m. within Winslow, Arizona, the plane changed to Instrumental Flight Rules, albeit at the same height. At 5:32 p.m. the flight reported that it was within the vicinity of Fresno, California, with a height of 8,000 feet (2,400 m). At 5.44 p.m. still over Fresno, the flight reported to the communications center that it was at an altitude of 7,000 ft (2,100 m). Three minutes later, after passing Evergreen, the flight gained clearance to transfer to the Oakland Approach Control. Over the next hour, the flight was told to maintain its altitude and then lower it. From 6:21 p.m. to 6:36 p.m., the flight lowered its altitude to 1,000 ft (300 m). After the flight connected to Newark, it disappeared.[5][3]: 1
Accident
[edit]I saw men with their clothes on fire—some on the ground—some trying to get. up, staggering, falling back into the flames.
— Mrs. Henry Andrade, [7]
Two minutes later, at 6:38 p.m., the aircraft was found to crash at a barley field.[3]: 2 The cause was loss of control.[4] The investigation showed that it crashed on its right-wing tip first, with a vertically inclined position. The aircraft did multiple cartwheels, before disintegrating. Debris was scattered over an 800 ft (240 m) long area and a 300 ft (91 m) wide area. Impact force caused the aircraft to break into pieces. A part of the left wing appeared 634 ft (193 m) from the accident.[3]: 2 The right aileron was broken into five parts by impact. No pounding was suspected when hinges moved freely.[3]: 3 After the accident, rescue services went to the plane. The services could see the plane burning, with the fuselage still intact. They sent victims to a nearby hospital, but poor roads in the area hampered efforts.[8] Ambulances came from four East Bay hospitals.[2] Originally, no survivors were found,[9] until two survivors were stored at the same hospital. They both had cases of shock.[10]
Aftermath and investigation
[edit]Newspapers around the country shared information about the accident. In New Mexico, funeral services were held for the fatalities. Since the men weren't killed in battle, they weren't included in Korean War casualty lists.[1] The accident caused lawsuits, with one lawsuit rejected.[11] Another lawsuit ended with the implementation "conflict-of-laws" principles if someone has a thought to sue.[12] Transocean Air Lines went bankrupt in 1962.[7]
Parts were examined by the Civil Aeronautics Board, with structural components sorted into a manner. After careful consideration, no means of failure was spotted.[3]: 2 The board committee arranged a 40-minute meeting, though they could not solve the problem.[10]
See also
[edit]- United Air Lines Flight 615 - a similar flight which crashed at the same place two years prior
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Remembering Flight 942". Air Force Global Strike Command. May 21, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b "35 Servicemen Killed". Leader-Tribune. March 21, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Ambulances rushed to the burning wreck from four East Bay hospitals; Transocean planes have air lifted thousands of military personnel and tons of supplies from the West Coast to Korea.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Transocean Air Lines, Alvarado, California, March 20, 1953" (PDF). Civil Aeronautics Board. October 11, 2023.
- ^ a b "Crash of a Douglas C-54G-10-DO Skymaster near Oakland: 35 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Accident Douglas C-54G-10-DO (DC-4)". Aviation Safety Newtork. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ "Transocean Air Lines Plane Plunges to Earth While Circling Oakland". Rutland Daily Herald. March 21, 1953. Retrieved January 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
The plane was piloted by Harvey Rogers, a senior Transocean Air Lines pilot.
- ^ a b "Transocean 942". Check-Six. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Investigation is Launched". The Times Record (Maine). March 21, 1953. Retrieved January 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Alameda county officers said bodies could be seen burning within the portion of "fuselage" that "remained intact; Ambulances vainly rushed the victims to a nearby hospital, and poor roads in the crash area hampered efforts to evacuate bodies
- ^ "35 Perish as Korea-Bound Plane Crashes and Burns". The Waco-Times Herald. March 21, 1953. Retrieved January 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Condon at the scene of the Transocean crash said there were no survivors.
- ^ a b "Saturday at California". The Peninsula Times Tribune. April 22, 1953. Retrieved January 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
An assembly committee late Tuesday turned down a CIO. The three crewmen and one passenger still missing are: Passenger Stanley J. Newman, Richmond, Pilot Capt. Robert Clark, 35, Torrance; Flight Engineer Robert League, 35, Redwood and Los Angeles; and Stewardess Barbara Brew. 26, Hollywood; The two survivors, Stewardes Beverlee Nelson, 31, Playa Del Rey, and Jerry Adams, 22, Fairbanks, Alaska, both suffering from severe cases of shock, are being kept at Oak Knoll Naval Hospital in Oakland for an additional 24 hours.
- ^ "United States Court of Appeals - Second Circuit". Check-Six. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ "Certiorari to the United States Court of appeals for the Second Circuit. No. 107". Check-Six. Retrieved November 27, 2024.