The flight crew of N709PA was properly certificated and qualified for this flight. The list is not an official one, since it is (for some odd reasons) not possible to copy the official microfilm from Pan Am's office files. Pan American World Airways conducted a flight test in a Boeing 707 to determine if fuel would discharge through the tank vent system ram air inlet. The controller informed the pilots that the airport was experiencing a line of thunderstorms in the vicinity, accompanied by strong winds and turbulence. Other phenomena, of which less is known because of generation and measuring difficulties, that are considered potential ignition sources are plasma, shock waves and sparking due to induced voltages from extremely high current rise rates that occur. We would be grateful if you would support our work by recording your loved ones, preserving their memory for future generations. Nearer to and still northeast of the crater there were numerous pieces of still denser wreckage, such as fragments of wing structure surrounding the center section fuel tank, air conditioning packs including the primary heat exchangers, the right horizontal stabilizer, etc. Numerous instances of in-flight fire were found on the recovered wreckage of the lift inboard wing aft of the rear spar, although most of the external skin remained unidentified. The flight was vectored for a visual approach to runway . [28] The committee agreed to conduct both long-range and short-range studies of the impact of lightning on aircraft fuel systems, and potential measures to defeat such hazards. The crater contained most of the fuselage and left inner wing wreckage, the left main gear and the nose gear. When the area was finished, 16 truckloads of wreckage were taken to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., for investigators with the Civil Aeronautics Board to reassemble to determine the cause of the crash. [28], Many aircraft-design improvements emerged as a result of the new guidelines and regulations. Over the radio, Culley came in again: All available ambulances respond to a plane crash at Delancy Road in Elkton.. The record of the first 32 minutes of flight was normal and indicated no severe turbulence. A radio call signifying an aircraft in distress. Although physical evidence of the means by which ignition occurred was not found, the likelihood of ignition by lightning is not ruled out. While residents were returning from evening church services, finishing up a late supper or watching The Ed Sullivan Show, five airliners were circling above Elkton, waiting for the OK to fly the 44 miles home to Philadelphia. A lightning strike igniting a fuel tank was ruled the cause. [5] The wreckage was engulfed in intense fires that burned for more than four hours. [28] The thickness of the aluminum surfaces of aircraft wings was increased to reduce the potential for lightning to completely melt through a wing surface into the wing's internal components. The Board participated in this program by providing a member on the Committee organized to advise in the program planning and execution as well as to evaluate the results. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. As a result any leak appreciably inboard of the reserve tank transfer tube could be expected to cause a fire that would progress outward and heat this tube sufficiently to ignite the fuel/air mixture in the No. The day of the crash, Arnold was returning with friends from a golf trip. There was an error processing your request. A meteorological message designed primarily for aircraft in flight warning of weather conditions potentially hazardous to transport category and other types of aircraft. The ailerons and spoilers on both sides, except the outer half of the left outboard aileron, exhibited evidence of in-flight fire. These streamers can have sufficient energy to ignite fuel vapors. After the accident fuel samples were taken from the supply sources at Idlewild, Baltimore, and San Juan. Skidding at high speed,. Communication was established between Flight 214 and New Castle Approach Control, which had no radar. Howard Van Sice, who was with his children at their West Main Street home in Elkton at the time of the crash, said in a 1983 interview with the Whig. In addition, flame can propagate through the vent system, from fuel vapors ignited at the vent outlet by direct strokes, streamering, or blast pressure waves, spark showers, and possible plasma penetration from direct strokes. [18]:34 The CAB launched an urgent research program in an attempt to identify conditions in which fuel vapors in the wings could have been ignited by lightning. Prior to departure from San Juan the captain of Flight 214 was briefed on the weather along his intended route to Philadelphia. [23] Scientists and airline industry representatives vigorously disputed the theory that lightning could have caused the aircraft to explode, calling it improbable. This opening encompassed the surge tank end of the vent passages from the fuel tanks. His father a mixture of professional and thoughtful. The record indicates that the flight was normal until 32:15 minutes after take-off from Baltimore. The wreckage distribution supported by the fire damage pattern, leads to the conclusions that the initial explosion was in the left reserve tank and that no fire-damaged part separated from the aircraft prior to the explosion. A micro second is one millionth of a second. N709PA was at or near the freezing level just prior to the accident. Mt. Then, at 8:58 p.m., Flight 214 broadcasted to Philadelphia. Top headlines sent to your inbox. Although the circumstances and facts of the accident were applied in the planning of the research program, its scope and intent was to provide information that could be applied industry-wide and thus was not aimed at any specific aircraft. Lightning discharges can be hazardous to aircraft fuel systems by possibly igniting the fuel vapor within the tanks. This is a list of accidents and incidents involving American airline Pan Am. It was too weird a coincidence. Threats of harming another All persons aboard the aircraft were killed instantly. 23K views 9 years ago On Dec. 8, 1963, Pan Am World Airways Flight 214 crashed in Elkton, MD. Dedicated in 2011,it was placedwhere the plane hit ahillside, taking 53 lives on Memorial Day 1947. In the days following, he slept at a relatives home on Delancy Road so he could stay close. There was no evidence of pitting in the metal surface of the rib. Readings obtained varied from 0.000 ohms to 250,000 ohms. Most Americans were awakened to the reality of terrorism on September 11, 2001, but more than a decade earlier, a few days before Christmas in 1988, Pan Am Flight 103, bound to New York from. The aircraft records review indicated that N709PA was maintained in accordance with FAA and approved Pan American directives and procedures prior to the accident. Seven witnesses stated that they had seen lightning strike the aircraft. [13], In 1959, the aircraft had been involved in an incident in which the right outboard engine was torn from the wing during a training flight in France. However, the four powerplant pods in their entirety yielded only evidence of their having separated in flight due to excessive load factors, without engine failure or malfunction prior to separation. A complete wing section of essentially the same configuration as B707-121 was tested for internal parking in the reserve tank. He always had a big garden, even when living on Long Island. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. A memorial for the victims of Pan American Airways Flight 214, which crashed in Elkton on Dec. 8, 1963. Seventy-two witnesses indicated that the ball of fire appeared concurrent with or immediately following the lightning stroke. 1 and 4 main tanks 12,000 pounds of fuel each, 31 percent Type B; center tank, estimated 15.05 gallons residual fuel, 100 percent Type B. Registered N454PA with manufacturer's serial number 19376/661, it had accumulated 21,625 airframe hours since its first flight in 1967. Roger, no hurry, the crew responded. "[7] The aircraft crashed at 8:59pm in a corn field east of Elkton, Maryland, near the Delaware Turnpike, setting the rain-soaked field on fire. Chris Knuth, son to the pilot, has found solace in digging through the details of the crash. All 259 people on board were killed, and 11 individuals on the ground also died. Hampton Scott, then 24, saw the plane go down from his home on Bow Street. It included the wreckage farthest from the main crater and consisted of nearly all the pieces of the left outer wing panel, notable exceptions being the inboard portions of the outer panel rear spar and aileron. Scott left the scene to report to his job as a mail worker at 5 a.m. on Monday. The depth of the craters ranged from 132 inch to complete perforation of the 116 inch thick wing tip skin. The Baltimore radar monitoring of the departure revealed neither unusual flight progress not significant weather. The two occupants of the Cessna were killed, but Captain Knuth was able to land safely with no injuries to his crew or passengers. Under the leadership of commercial aviation pioneer Juan Trippe, the . By definition, lightning is always present in thunderstorms. I dont know if you were aware of this and hope that knowing your loss helped save others, brings you solace in some small way. Snopes previously debunked the story in 2019, the same year that a YouTube page called "Bright Side" breathed new life into the myth when it published a viral video that has been viewed more than 19.2 million times.. [15] He had a total of 13,963 hours of flying time, of which 2,681 were in the Boeing 707. Within this area there were numerous spots where the metal surface and rivet head showed indications of melting, and associated dendritic patterns were were visible on the wing surfaces. Debris, pieces of the plane and oil were scattered through the field, in trees and on cars and houses. There were no signs of fire damage. As a child my grandparents lived in Rising Sun and my moms uncle Charlie Ritchie owned Ritchie Motors. [5], A Maryland state trooper who had been patrolling on Route 213 radioed an alert as he drove toward the crash site, east of Elkton near the state line. [5], At 8:58pm, the aircraft exploded. First responders and investigators comb through the crash site to clean up the scene and recover victims remains. PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS, INCBOEING 707-121, N709PANEAR ELKTON, MARYLANDDECEMBER 8, 1963. No. Henry Shaffer, then 16, cut school for a couple days to volunteer at the crash site as a firefighter. Although a dedicated worker, his father always made time to spend summers at a cottage in Avalon, N.J., with the family. Additionally, 28 witnesses saw objects fall from the aircraft in flight and 48 described portions of the aircraft they observed to be in flames. It was just a debris field. We heard so many of these stories as family members and first responders came together, talked, and reflected on the passage of 50 years since the disaster. The recovery process took as many hearses and removal vehicles as possible, recalled Don Hicks, whose family owns Hicks Home for Funerals in Elkton. NEW YORK -- Following is a list of victims of the crash of Pan American World Airways Flight 759 in Kenner, La., as released by the airline. You werent obligated to do it, but you wanted to do it, you wanted to help your neighbor in need, he said. It is the worst plane disaster ever attributed to lightening and subsequent investigations into the crash led to changes in airplane design that have since saved many lives from perishing in similar lightening accidents. [4] The controller told the pilots that the delay would last about 30minutes. [12] The state medical examiner needed nine days to complete identifications, using fingerprints, dental records, and nearby personal effects. [1]:1,3[5] The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all of the occupants were killed. This 1963 photo shows personal items left strewn in an Elkton field after Pan Am Flight 214 crashed. Flight 214 was in a holding pattern awaiting an instrument approach to the Philadelphia International Airport when it was struck by lightning. On December 8, 1963, the Boeing 707 serving the flight crashed near Elkton, Maryland, while en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia, after being On January 30 1974 Pan Am 806 landed short of Pago Pago airport. 32:15 minutes after takeoff abnormal excursions appear. My teenage years were horrible,when friends made reference to theyre Dads about what they did together I would walk away and cried cried cried !!! The crew elected to remain at 5,000 feet (1,500m) in a holding pattern with five other aircraft. The stepped leader advances toward the ground in a series of discrete branching movements, forming an ionized path down from the cloud. As a branch of the stepped leader is approaching the ground, the intensified electric field causes an upward moving streamer to form at a ground projection and advance toward the stepped leader. The No. I think we have honored his memory in how we live our lives in a good way.. Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 registered as N709PA, was en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia on December 8, 1963, when it crashed near Elkton, Maryland after being hit by lightning, killing all 81 on board. Choose wisely! Fingerprints, dental records and personal effects found nearby were the primary means of identification. This disaster remains the deadliest in . Meherjee Kharas, a 28-year-old Pan Am mechanic on board, was forced to make radio contact with negotiators outside. There was one trip when the plane suddenly dropped, knocking a flight attendant unconscious after she hit the ceiling. A visual inspection of the aircraft, including examination for fuel leaks, was performed by a Pan American mechanic, while the aircraft was being refueled, and no discrepancies were noted. 1 and 4 reserve tanks an estimated 1.81 gallons of residual fuel, approximately 69 percent Type B; Nos. On December 8, 1963, Pan Am Flight 214, a 707-121, crashed outside Elkton, Maryland during a severe electrical storm, with a loss of all 81 passengers and crew. The engines were buried in the ground 10 to 15 feet (3 to 5m) from the force of the impact. Crewlist of the PanAm Passengerlist of the PamAm Survivors that later died. Electrical resistance measurements were taken across 21 fuel tank access plates. [22] Within a week of the crash, the FAA issued an order requiring the installation of static electricity dischargers on the approximately 100 Boeing jet airliners that had not already been so equipped. They saw the Taj Mahal and the Buddhist temples in Thailand. He died of a heart attack. Another was due to a bomb, and another due to a failed landing attempt. No maintenance discrepancies were reported by the crew at Baltimore. Evidence of fusion was found at the edges of two drilled holes in the wing tip cap and one of these holes had been enlarged by melting around the periphery. By the time many arrived to the scene, there were pockets of fire in the field. Chris has visited Elkton several times to meet with witnesses and visit the crash site, now marked with a commemorative stone. There was considerable ground-fire damage to the right inner wing. Success! Sincerely, Ron Heck. The weather that Sunday night was an odd storm rain, sleet, thunder and lightning more appropriate for a sticky summer night. It was a muddy night because it had been raining awful hard. Accelerated studies have recently been completed into these hazards to provide technical data on their probably occurrence and control. The need for additional research is recognized and additional programming is planned. I just found this article while trying to research the names of the four crew members on board that were NOT in the cockpit. The accident is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll.". reported it was the seventh disaster involving a Boeing 707. Consequently, there is a direct correlation in time and location between the lightning discharge and start of events which culminated in the accident. Able to drive his familys gray station wagon, Hicks, then only 13, drove remains from the crash site to the temporary Red Cross station and morgue set up at the armory. Like other family members of victims, Chris said he was grateful to the people of Elkton for responding to the tragedy. I still like Christmas very much, he said. Thus, to predict in the absence of physical evidence the exact mechanism of ignition in this particular case is not possible. Pan Am Flight 214 was a scheduled flight of Pan American World Airways from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Friendship Airport in Baltimore and Philadelphia International Airport. [1]:2[3], As the flight approached Philadelphia, the pilots made radio contact with air traffic control near Philadelphia at 8:42pm. The aircraft was fueled with Type B to a total of 78,000 pounds. Type A is a kerosene type turbine fuel with a flash point of 110-150F. The Federal Aviation Agency is implementing research and test programs to accomplish, in the main, the Coordinating Research Council's recommendations. Fires were observed on both wings of the aircraft before impact. At 8:24p.m. EST, flight 214 departed for Philadelphia with 73 passengers and 8 crew members on board. Despite those who had rushed to the scene with him, he needed more help. Criticism of the JP-4 jet fuel that was in the tanks centered around the fact that its vapors can be easily ignited at the low temperatures encountered in flight. Testing failed to demonstrate any hazard from induced voltages in the fuel quantity measuring system. 105). United Airlines got many of Pan Am's old flights. Nearly 600 pieces of wreckage were strewn outside the main impact crater in an area approximately four miles long and one mile wide. Although the dihedral angle of the wing in normal flight would tend to cause an inboard flow of some of the released fuel along the rear spar lower edge, various obstructions in the trailing edge and chordwise discontinuities in the lower surface of the trailing edge would tend to localize any fire to the general area of the leak. A smaller hole was burned adjacent to the outboard edge of the access cover over the fluxgate compass transmitter. It was demonstrated that direct lightning strikes to over wing filler caps and access plates of the configuration used on the aircraft in question can produce sparks inside of the fuel tank. [1]:3 Heavy rain was falling in the holding area, with frequent lightning and gusts of wind up to 50 miles per hour (80km/h). The flight was cleared to climb to 5,000 feet and recleared to the New Castle VOR. Hash, out of the police academy only 18 months, was one of three troopers on patrol that night, along with a handful of the sheriffs deputies. Even the video itself casts doubt, with the narrator noting after . Clipper 214 out of control. By morning, gruesome details were visible in Elkton. Its certainly painful to relive some of it, but maybe its freeing at the same time, said Richard Sherman, who lost his father, Arnold, in the crash. [1]:1, The aircraft was the first Pan Am jet to crash in the five years since the company had introduced their jet fleet. Enter for the chance to win $5,000 in the Spring Home Makeover Sweepstakes! They said that the order would create a false impression that the risk of lightning strikes had been resolved. He was just 6 years old in 1963. Pan Am flight 103, also called Lockerbie bombing, flight of a passenger airliner operated by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, after a bomb was detonated. The largest section was bowed chordwise in an outward direction. The test conditions were: Fuel vent shutoff float valve removed from Nos. [28][27] Fuel-vent flame arrestors were added to aircraft to detect and discharge fire suppressant to extinguish fuel vapors that ignite at fuel-vent outlets. On that night, Dec. 8, 1963, Flight 214, a Pan American Airways Boeing 707, was returning to the U.S. from from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Pan American Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121, N709PA, departed Friendship International Airport, Baltimore, Maryland, for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 2024[1] December 8, 1963. Certain phenomena associated with lightning discharges, some well defined, others more subtle and of which we have less finite information and which leave no physical evidence can ignite flammable mixtures. It is located near the main impact point on Delancy Road, in a grassy center strip of Wheelhouse Drive, the entrance to Turnquist, a development that sprang up years afterward. [16][17], The first officer was John R. Dale, 48, also of Long Island. MAYDAY. 8:58 p.m.: The crew transmits: MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. The first, in November 1962, happened when a Los Angeles-bound Varig Airlines 707 struck a mountain. And for the generation that was alive back at that time, albeit a catastrophic moment, this is one of them, Dixon said. Here in Elkton, a number of those firefighters and police officers who met with families have passed away since then, but at least there was an opportunity for the two groups to meet and share experiences, emotions, and feelings. The aircraft, with 73 passengers and a crew of eight, was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance. Members of the Airline Pilots Association then arrived in the middle of the night to guard the house against the press. Of the 140 ground witnesses interviewed, 99 reported sighting an aircraft or flaming object in the sky. It is pertinent to note, however, that none of the damage was on wing skin that encompassed fuel tank or vent system space of the aircraft; consequently, a direct correlation of any of this damage with the tank explosion is not possible. With its swift speeds and glamorous allure, the 1958 debut of the Boeing 707 is generally credited with ushering the Jet Age, which peaked in the 1960s. I was 6 at the time and my great uncle Bob, my name sake was kidled along with his wife Florence. The strange story of Pan Am Flight 914 is frequently shared by UFO blogs and . Can you list the top facts and stats about Pan Am Flight 214? Information obtained by analyses, research utilizing laboratory produced electrical discharges and observations of natural lightning damage was utilized in determining where and how to make the detailed examination. The first commercial radio, WSER, had started to broadcast. Turbulence, unusually fast and heavy icing and the possibility of an insufficient lift in the jets wings were all theorized as causes. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 707-321B powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B engines. [10] Investigators revealed that a fire had occurred in flight, and one commented that it was nearly certain that an in-flight explosion of some kind had occurred. [1]:14, The CAB assigned more than a dozen investigators within an hour of the crash. Besides the requests for information on genealogy or old homes, local historians receive the most inquirers about Flight 214. Fear, anxiety, and concern swept across the unnerved community as emergency units rushed toward the cornfield hoping to aid the injured. He had three young daughters at home, ages 4, 3 and 1. At 2058 a "MAYDAY"[2] transmission was heard from the flight. The accident is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll." Flight history If the stepped leader of a stroke approaches a flying aircraft, the intense electric field induces streamers from the extremities of the aircraft out toward the approaching stroke. He was partners with my grandfather in our family business in which my father and his brother were also employed. He likes to remember the simple moments he spent with his father, watching TV and eating pizza. From the facts of the investigation, it has been determined that explosions occurred in the left reserve, center, and right reserve fuel tanks. Statistics indicate that the majority of lightning strikes to aircraft occur at ambient temperatures near the freezing level. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Through work the society is doing now, future generations will have more information available regarding Flight 214. Special from the Cecil Whig. The detailed examination of surfaces, joints, rivets, screws, fittings, and fuel quality probes for physical evidence of ignition-producing sparks where ignitable fuel/air mixtures may normally be present disclosed no identifiable evidence of electrical arcing. When his son was born, the last addition to the three Knuth girls, he decided to take shorter trips. However, the turbulence in the area where N709PA was operating was light to moderate and was not of the strength normally associated with a loss of control or structural failure. The surge tank box[7] was intact except for a 2.2 inch opening along the top extending from spar to spar. It was the way to travel in style, equipped the way a railroad club car would be with a lounge and other comforts. He responded to a call he heard on the radio while working on his homework Sunday night. When Gilbert finally went to bed that night he remembers looking out his bedroom window and seeing neighbors silently standing in the front yard watching the house. All 81 occupants of . 3 and 4 main tanks and float valves in the Nos. The wire bundle for the fluxgate compass transmitter showed signs of heat damage and charring of the insulation of one wire. In response to the CAB's findings, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered lightning discharge wicks (or static dischargers) to be installed on all commercial jets flying inside US airspace. The crash site, centered in a field of the Berry Family Farm, covered a four-mile area. [20] Eyewitness testimony later confirmed that the plane had been burning on its way down to the crash site. A granite memorial was dedicated at the crash site in 1994. One of these was a straight path about 1,500 feet wide and two miles long. [1]:4 The complete left wingtip was found nearly 2 miles (3km) from the crash site. I just found this site. The detached engine fell into a field on a farm southwest of Paris, where the flight had originated, with no injuries. The test did not reveal any fuel discharge, but some evidence showed that fuel had entered the vent system, collected in the surge tanks, and returned to the tanks. i have the full list of victims(including the crew). Despite the one variation in results of the three magnetic surveys, no information significant to the investigation was obtained. I remember him bringing home the extra work. After takeoff, Baltimore Departure Control provided radar vectors to Victor 44 where air traffic "control" was transferred to New Castle Approach Control. On December 8, 1963, Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 four-engine turbojet named Clipper Tradewind by Pan Am, took off from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 4:10 p.m. EST, for a flight to Philadelphia with 73 passengers and 8 crew on board. McCullers, Kenneth L., 45, captain, Sebastian, Fla . Elkton Mayor Joe Fisona performs a wedding ceremony for Arnold and Allah Scolnik at the site of the Pan Am plane crash that killed Arnold's brother and sister-in-law in 1963. Examination of the wreckage in conjunction with consideration of the wreckage distribution disclosed multiple indications of lightning damage, fire and disintegration in flight, which will be discussed in following paragraphs. Mikes Blog About the Professional Practice of Public History. At first, he thought the glow was from a distant barn fire. The Committee was informed currently on the investigative results and, conversely, persons responsible for the investigation were advised as information evolved from the research activities to the mutual benefit of all responsible parties. Error! Mae Grant, who was visiting her parents with her 3-month-old son at the Delancy Road family home at the time of the crash, recalled the dramatic moment in another previous interview with the Whig. Witnesses in the accident area described the weather as cloudy, with light rain falling, and lightning. The long axis of the deposits varied from 18 degrees inboard to 4 degrees outboard. The crew of this flight observed a lightning strike on their aircraft while in the holding pattern. Newark Police investigating three burglaries, car theft, Conservation Corner: Environmental tips from the Conservation Advisory Commission, Police identify UD freshman killed in crash on Library Avenue. On December 8, 1963, the Boeing 707-121 serving the flight crashed near Elkton, Maryland, while flying from Baltimore to Philadelphia, after being hit by lightning.
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