United Air Lines Flight 521
Air accident on May 29, 1947
Wreckage of NC30046
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Accident | |
---|---|
Date | May 29, 1947 |
Summary | Pilot error |
Site |
LaGuardia Airport
,
New York City , United States 40°46′06″N 73°53′05″W / 40.7683°N 73.8847°W / 40.7683; -73.8847 |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Douglas DC-4 |
Aircraft name | Mainliner Lake Tahoe |
Operator | United Airlines |
Registration | NC30046 |
Flight origin |
LaGuardia Airport,
New York |
Destination | Cleveland Municipal Airport , Cleveland , Ohio |
Occupants | 48 |
Passengers | 44 |
Crew | 4 |
Fatalities | 43 |
Injuries | 5 |
Survivors | 5 |
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United Air Lines Flight 521 was a scheduled passenger flight operated by a Douglas DC-4 from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Cleveland, Ohio . On May 29, 1947, while attempting to take off on runway 18, the aircraft failed to get airborne, overran the end of the runway , ripped through an airport fence onto traffic on the Grand Central Parkway , and slammed into an embankment, ultimately plunging into a pond and exploding. Ten people escaped the flaming wreckage; only five of them survived. [1]
It was the worst commercial aviation disaster in United States history at the time. Its record stood for less than 24 hours before an Eastern Airlines DC-4 crashed near Baltimore, Maryland, killing all 53 aboard. [1]
Investigation
The Civil Aeronautics Board concluded the report on the accident by citing pilot error . The report read: "The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was either the failure of the pilot to release the gust lock before take-off, or his decision to discontinue the take-off because of apprehension resulting from rapid use of a short runway under a possible calm wind condition."
Although the board came to the conclusion that pilot error was likely the cause, the May 31, 1947, edition of The New York Times told a different (albeit preliminary) tale:
"The United Air Lines DC-4 that crashed and burned at La Guardia Field Thursday night never got into the air and the pilot , after using up about two-thirds of the 3,500-foot runway, was trying to halt his giant craft by braking and ground looping. All night, on-the-scene inquiries by both the company and officials of the Civil Aeronautics Board established these facts yesterday. They agreed also that the wind shift, described by a company official as 'of almost unbelievable suddenness', led Capt. Benton R. Baldwin, the pilot, to decide against proceeding with the take-off, but they differed on whether the pilot had been apprised of approaching wind shifts before the take-off."
It seemed, at least early on, the cause may have actually been wind shear (although it is referred to as "wind shift" in the article).
References
- 1 2 "RUNWAY 18 Air Safety, May-June 1947 Chapter 197" . Daily News . September 21, 2000 . Retrieved May 16, 2009 . [ permanent dead link ]
External links
Aviation accidents and incidents
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1947
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Jan 11
Jan 25
Jan 26
Feb 15
May 29
May 29
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Jun 19
Jul 29
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