Flight Brothers FT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhGp5kpoMvFMMg3KGPENZAPan Am 707 Photo: https://www.flickr.com/people/23344035@N03 (clipperarctic)This . [15] He had flown for Pan Am for 22 years and had accumulated 17,049 hours of flying experience, including 2,890 in the Boeing 707. The ends of the fracture curled up and were moderately sooted. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and landed safely in London using the remaining three engines. Around 11 p.m., she heard the front door open and her mother, Elizabeth, walk to the neighbors house. The recovery process took as many hearses and removal vehicles as possible, recalled Don Hicks, whose family owns Hicks Home for Funerals in Elkton. Roger, no hurry, the crew responded. Gilbert remembers his mother as jovial, with a good sense of humor. This 1963 photo shows personal items left strewn in an Elkton field after Pan Am Flight 214 crashed. Aircraft Accident Report: Pan Am Flight 214. The electron flow suddenly heats the ionized channel to about 15,000C, expanding the air supersonically outward with a thunderclap. The loss of Bob, meant that my father, who was new to the business, had to pick up his uncles duties. He likes to remember the simple moments he spent with his father, watching TV and eating pizza. 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. Periodically, we hear from other people who had family members on that flight. Thanks for the memories, Dear Edwin, I will speak for many by saying were sorry for your loss. 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. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, You werent obligated to do it, but you wanted to do it, you wanted to help your neighbor in need, he said. The difference in electrical potential between a cloud and the ground may be in the order of ten to one hundred million volts and discharge current may exceed 100,000 amperes with 10,000 amperes per micro-second[13] rate of current rise. "[27], The crash of Pan Am Flight 214 called attention to previously unknown risks to aircraft from lightning strikes. The captain was also provided with a "flight folder" which contained the required weather documents. Regards,Edwin Montilla. Mr Tanguay's letter suggested reducing the volatility of the fuel/air gas mixture by introducing an inert gas, or by using air circulation. Special attention was given to the left wing tip and parts of the No. Type B is a wide-cut gasoline type turbine fuel with an unspecified flash point and a maximum Reid vapor pressure of 3 p.s.i. [9][11], Remains of the victims were brought to the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, where a temporary morgue was created. [3] The costs of the CAB's investigations rarely exceeded $10,000, but the agency would spend about $125,000 investigating this crash (equivalent to $1,100,000 in 2021), not including the money spent by Boeing, the FAA, Pratt & Whitney, and other aircraft-part suppliers during additional investigations. In the 1960s, traveling by air, although popular, was not without danger. The aircraft with 73 passengers and a crew of eight was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance. Electrical resistance measurements were taken across 21 fuel tank access plates. The CAB team was assisted by investigators from the Boeing Company, Pan Am, the Air Line Pilots Association, Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). The board said, "It is felt that the current state of the art does not permit an extension of test results to unqualified conclusions of all aspects of natural lightning effects. I remember him bringing home the extra work. Very slight outward bulging of the tank end rib was noted. He provided the captain with copies of the 1900 east coast weather sequence reports. A meteorological message designed primarily for aircraft in flight warning of weather conditions potentially hazardous to transport category and other types of aircraft. Neither blast wave compression nor induced streamer ignition would leave visible evidence of the cause of ignition. Back home, there were husbands and wives, sons and daughters, sister and brothers and friends. [23] Scientists and airline industry representatives vigorously disputed the theory that lightning could have caused the aircraft to explode, calling it improbable. Additional requirements to protect the aircraft from lightning were enacted in 1970. Alongside the story of the Elkton crash, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported it was the seventh disaster involving a Boeing 707. Toxicological examination of the flight crew showed no evidence of alcohol or elevated carbon monoxide levels. Mt. I guess our minds do that.. December 8 2018 Pan Am Flight 214 was a scheduled flight of Pan American World Airways from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 1 (left) reserve tank, causing an explosion that blew apart the outer portion of the jetliner's port wing. These studies have also indicated the structural damage that would be caused by the different causes of ignition. The crash also spawned research into the safety of various types of aviation fuel and into methods of reducing dangerous fuel-tank vapors. [3][19] U.S. House Representative Samuel S. Stratton of Schenectady, New York, sent a telegram to the FAA urging them to restrict jet operations in turbulent weather, but the FAA responded that it saw no pattern that suggested the need for such restrictions, and Boeing concurred. Sherman and more than a dozen of his family members are coming this weekend. 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. 1 and 4 engines, pylons and sections of their cowling. [1]:14[5] Witnesses of the crash described hearing the explosion and seeing the plane in flames as it descended. Carbon monoxide tests of passengers also indicated no elevated levels. It was a moving experience hearing the stories of other family members as they came back to Elkton to meet and share their accounts. 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. Even though the aircraft was operating in precipitation at or near the freezing level, icing is not considered a factor. 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. Before observing the aircraft, a glow or light was observed in near proximity to the location of the lightning discharge. He credited his team for the smooth emergency landing. Radar service was terminated eight miles west of the Rock Hall Intersection at 2031. Multiple lightning-strike marks were found on the left wing tips. 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.. 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 some cases, the team reconstructed the victims' faces to the extent possible using mannequins. At 7:35 p.m. EST, Flight 214 made an intermediate stop at Friendship . The day of the crash, Arnold was returning with friends from a golf trip. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. It was several smaller fires. At least 37 killed in Turkish cargo plane crash in Kyrgyzstan, Russian military plane carrying 92 on board, including famed army band, crashes into Black Sea, Passenger plane crashes while landing in Russia, Uz Zviedrijas un Norvijas robeas notikusi pasta lidmanas aviokatastrofa. Gilbert, then 15, was watching Bonanza with his younger sister when the news broke there had been a plane crash. In memory of his father, Sherman will light a yahrzeit candle. Weeks after the crash, Carol received two Christmas gifts that her father had purchased before the crash: a copy of Robinson Crusoe and 45-rpm records of folksinger Burl Ives, which he thought was popular music. Pan Am provided the family with passes to travel. The density of these pieces varied from low to high processing westerly along the 250-degree path. A portion of the trailing edge of the left horizontal stabilizer was burned through and the paint was blistered along the entire upper and lower surfaces of the trailing edge. Keep it Clean. FAA letter on lightning protection measures, Traffic delays ahead: DelDOT to begin reconstructing I-95/Del. On December 8, 1963, Pan American 214, operating as Clipper Tradewind, departed Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 4:10pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) for a flight to Baltimore's Friendship Airport (now Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, or BWI), where 69 passengers disembarked. The crew elected to remain at 5,000 feet (1,500m) in a holding pattern with five other aircraft. Prior to departure from San Juan the captain of Flight 214 was briefed on the weather along his intended route to Philadelphia. The exact manner of ignition was never determined, but the investigation yielded information about how lightning can damage aircraft, leading to new safety regulations. There were three groups of golfers, the alumni from Northeastern University who took a winter vacation every year, two honeymoon couples and a young woman bringing her infant son to meet his grandparents for the first time. Cecil County had experienced its own loss when Steward Godwin, of the North East Fire Company, collapsed at the scene about 1:30 a.m. on Monday. And in Elkton, an unusual winter thunderstorm rattled the small town with pouring rain, wind and flashes of lightning. First responders and police from throughout Cecil County had responded to the call, along with men from the Bainbridge Naval Training Center. The plane is expected in Philadelphia now at 9:10 p.m. 8:50 p.m.: The crew radios that they are ready to start to approach, but they are advised to continue to hold. They said, Daddy come quick, theres a falling star and I said, Thats no falling star, thats a plane, the Rev. 3 was issued by the USWB office, Washington National Airport. Consequently, there is a direct correlation in time and location between the lightning discharge and start of events which culminated in the accident. [5] Of the 140 witnesses interviewed, 99 reported seeing an aircraft or a flaming object in the sky. 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. There was evidence that fuel entered the vent system, collected in the surge tanks, and returned to the proper fuel tanks. One craft, lightning crackling nearby as it circled, was Pan American Airways Flight 214. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 707-321B powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B engines. Seventy-two of these witnesses saw lightning and seven stated they saw the lightning strike the aircraft. 1 engine and pylon assembly was approximately 1,925 feet on a bearing of 13 degrees from the impact crater. [15] He had a total flying time of 6,066 hours, including 76 hours in the Boeing 707. We won't share it with anyone else. Special from the Cecil Whig. I would share my and my familys actual experience of where we were at the time of the crash and what we went through thereafter. After takeoff, Baltimore Departure Control provided radar vectors to Victor 44 where air traffic "control" was transferred to New Castle Approach Control. 1 and 2 main tanks intact; 12,000 pounds of fuel in tanks 1, 2, 3, and 4 main and with the reserve and outer tanks empty; flight conditions simulating moderate to rough air turbulence with skidding two minute turns. Comments containing links to outside The bearing of this path was 250 degrees from its easterly end toward the impact crater, however, westerly extension of the path centerline passed approximately 2,500 feet south of the crater. [1]:14 The second officer was Paul L. Orringer, age 42, of New Rochelle, New York. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. The trooper was first to arrive at the crash site and later stated, "It wasnt a large fire. 32:15 minutes after takeoff abnormal excursions appear. 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. [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. Based on evidence furnished the Board, it is reasonable to conclude that the state of the art was fully exploited within the limits imposed by basic airplane structural and configuration requirements in the design of the fuel system, including the vent outlets. He called Pan Am and the company confirmed his parents were on the flight. 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. In-flight fire damage was noted on the three steel tracks for the inboard flap on the track at the inboard end of the outboard flap, the inner end of the outboard flap, fragments of the spoilers, dump chute components, coverlip doors, and fragments of the fore flaps. 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. Reflections on Yesterday Cecil County History. We never let anyone go away mad when we say goodbye, Carol said. Relatives came to the armory, but officials said it would not be possible to visually identify any of the victims. Pan American Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121, N709PA, departed Friendship International Airport, Baltimore, Maryland, for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 2024[1] December 8, 1963. Chris has visited Elkton several times to meet with witnesses and visit the crash site, now marked with a commemorative stone. There was no evidence of fire damage on the right horizontal stabilizer. Thus, the actual mechanics of ignition of the left reserve tank contents was not determined. [6] The pilots were able to transmit a final message: "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. [26], Pan Am conducted a flight test in a Boeing 707 to investigate whether fuel could leak from the tank-venting system during a test flight that attempted to simulate moderate to rough turbulence in flight. The news of the crash complete with pilots name had been broadcast on the evening news. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. These limits vary according to the temperature and pressure. The left inboard flaps showed evidence of fire damage. For more information on this blog click here. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Residents recalled their yards lighting up and houses shaking. If lightning was the cause of a fatal crash, it would be a first in the history of U.S. commercial aviation. The long axis of this area was on a bearing of 255 degrees true from the easterly end through the impact crater near the westerly end. Here we go. A few seconds later: Clipper 214 is going down in flames., 8:59 p.m.: The aircraft crashes outside of Elkton. The Baltimore radar monitoring of the departure revealed neither unusual flight progress not significant weather. [1]:4, The aircraft was a Boeing 707-121 registered with tail number N709PA. [12] There was no visible discharge of fuel at any time during the test. Fatal accidents [ edit] 1920s [ edit] August 15, 1928 Fokker C-2 NC55 General Machado ditched in the Gulf of Mexico off Egmont Key, Florida after all three engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion, killing one person. It didnt resemble an airplane. [15] This high potential produces streamers from all extremities and high gradient points of the aircraft. Following is a list of passengers on the Pan American Boeing 747 airliner who were killed in the Canary Islands crash, as provided Monday to The Associated Press by Pan American officials:. The results were generally similar except that the readings on the aft end screws on the fuel tank access plate of the left wing were higher on N709PA than on the two tested aircraft this work was an attempt to delineate the path of the lightning-induced current through the wing structure. Turbulence, unusually fast and heavy icing and the possibility of an insufficient lift in the jets wings were all theorized as causes. 105). The vent system interconnects all fuel tanks and the vent outlets through passages capable of transmitting flame when filled with flammable mixtures; thus initial ignition could have occurred inside the left reserve tank, inside the left surge tank, or at the left vent outlet. Some speculation arose that metal fatigue as a result of the aircraft's 1959 incident could be a factor, but the aircraft had undergone four separate maintenance overhauls since the accident without any issues having been detected. 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. These streamers can have sufficient energy to ignite fuel vapors. Magnetic strength surveys were made using a comparative Gaussmeter with a probe containing ferrous core coils, current amplifier, microammeter, and sensitivity adjustment. Following the crash, firefighters worked to extinguish the burning wreckage off Delancy Road. 2 piloti pazudui bez vsts, Antonov An-12 cargo plane with Russian crew crash-landed in South Sudan, local media report, W katastrofie lotu S-Air 9607 pod Miskiem zgino 5 osb. Carol Knuth Sakoian is reminded of her father whenever she smells a cigar or hears classical music. Scientists said it was improbable for lightning to have caused the crash, Delawares News Journal reported. [6] Named the Clipper Tradewind, it was the oldest aircraft in the U.S. commercial jet fleet at the time of the crash. Similar surveys were conducted on a USAF B-707-100 and a Pan American B-707-139 with 3,454 and 10,540 hours flight time, respectively. This horrible incident changed my whole life from this day forward. This page was last edited on 25 March 2021, at 12:11. 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. By the same reasoning, in view of the known facts of this accident, there is no logical explanation for ignition of the flammable vapors other than some effect stemming directly from the lightning strike. The heaviest concentration of soot was below and aft of the tank vent screen. It came out after I had hired him, that he was the last baby delivered by an OB/GYN who was also killed in that crash! The crew acknowledged with "Roger, no hurry, just wanted you to know that we'll accept a clearance." Thus, to predict in the absence of physical evidence the exact mechanism of ignition in this particular case is not possible. 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. On this blog, you will find posts on the history of Cecil County, both old and modern, and the personal stories of the people, first and secondhand. These records revealed no history of fuel leaks, lightning strikes, or static discharges. 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. There was no evidence of pitting in the metal surface of the rib. Additionally, 28 witnesses saw objects fall from the aircraft in flight and 48 described portions of the aircraft they observed to be in flames. When relatives, friends and local witnesses gather in memory of the crash this weekend, members of the historical society will meet them privately to record their recollections. It is logically concluded that the main tanks which contained fuel and are adjacent to the reserve and center tanks were structurally disrupted when some or all of the aforementioned tanks exploded; fuel was spilled and ignited. The Knuth family at the family reunion in Iowa in August of 1963. There was never a second thought about putting the Knuth children on planes after the crash. [3][6] It had been delivered to Pan Am on October 27, 1958, and had flown a total of 14,609 hours. Retired Elkton Police Chief Thomas McIntire met with a film documentary crew and Chris Knuth, the son of Pan Am 214s pilot, in 1994 to recall his memories of that night. The ailerons and spoilers on both sides, except the outer half of the left outboard aileron, exhibited evidence of in-flight fire. The family would have meals with six or eight vegetables at a time, even eggplant, which was then considered kind of unusual. Meanwhile, the stroke leader continues on from the aircraft to another cloud or to the ground to complete the ionized channel for the electron avalanche. As a child my grandparents lived in Rising Sun and my moms uncle Charlie Ritchie owned Ritchie Motors. Onboard: 73 passengers and eight crew members. Be Proactive. The group further concluded that additional research into the nature and effect of lightning strikes and electro-static discharges is warranted and that more information is desirable regarding the phenomena of fuel spray, misting, and localized vapor-air mixtures in tanks under actual flight conditions. N709PA left San Juan as Pan American Flight 214 at 1610 and arrived at Baltimore at 1935. Twenty-seven saw fire preceded by lightning with a very short interval before the fire was visible. The resultant fuel load was a mixture of Type A and Type B distributed as follows. All pieces from there along this path to about 7,500 feet from the crater were very low in density, consisting of items such as Seat Occupied cards, cabin air conditioning insulation, fragments of thin skinned stringers, etc. On the morning of December 8, 1963, N709PA departed Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Pan American Flight 213 and proceeded to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with an en route stop at Baltimore, Maryland. If you can't make the recordings, you can support us by donating. The accident is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll." Flight history Pan Am Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled flight from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia International Airport, with a scheduled stopover at Baltimore's Friendship Airport. Type A is a kerosene type turbine fuel with a flash point of 110-150F. Continuing easterly the path, except for a concentration of five pieces of wreckage about 4,500 feet east-northeast of the crater, did not exceed 1,000 feet in width within 11,000 feet of the crater, at which point its track was about 255 degrees. At 8:58p.m. EST, while in the holding pattern, the aircraft was hit by lightning, which ignited fuel vapors in the No. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. The fiery blast in the stormy Maryland sky caused the plane to break up in flight. The fuselage had split in two, the cockpit was in a crater, that was covered in mud and engines flew further into yards past the field, it was like the people were put into a blender and fell in this muddy cornfield with one tree in the center. Seventy-two witnesses said that the ball of fire occurred at the same time as, or immediately after, the lightning strike. Your email address will not be published. It was a natural response for the town to come together in a time of need. Then we went on and made the landing as though nothing had happened, said one passenger, D. E. Wilson, of Peekskill, N.Y., in the article. [1]:2 After 67 passengers disembarked in Baltimore,[3] the aircraft departed at 8:24pm with its remaining 73 passengers for the final leg to Philadelphia International Airport. The weather documentation and briefing furnished the crew at San Juan was satisfactory. Metallographic examination of several areas of lightning damage showed characteristic deposits of porous fused metal on the damaged surfaces and a distinct boundary between the affected and unaffected metal. He died of a heart attack at Union Hospital. Harmon Program: The Architecture of Taste: Building & Cooking in 18th Century Kitchens, The Elkton Plane Crash Memorial. Flammability is also affected by misting or foaming of the fuel. However, on December 4, 1991 Pan Am stopped flying due to the big financial problems. New regulations mandated the electrical bonding between the surface of the aircraft and any items that are installed on the surface of the wings near the tanks, such as fuel filler caps, drain valves, and access panels. 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. Seconds later another transmission on the same frequency was heard "Clipper 214 is going down in flames." Nearly 600 pieces of wreckage were strewn outside the main impact crater in an area approximately four miles long and one mile wide. Henry Shaffer, then 16, cut school for a couple days to volunteer at the crash site as a firefighter. On January 30 1974 Pan Am 806 landed short of Pago Pago airport. Flight 214 was in a holding pattern awaiting an instrument approach to the Philadelphia International Airport when it was struck by lightning. 1 and 4 main and reserve tanks 69 percent Type B; Nos. The exact manner of ignition was never determined, but the investigation yielded information about how lightning can damage aircraft, leading to new safety regulations. I was just a small boy at the time and never heard about it previously. The two occupants of the Cessna were killed, but Captain Knuth was able to land safely with no injuries to his crew or passengers. An investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Board concluded that the cause of the crash was a lightning strike that had ignited fuel vapors in one of the aircraft's fuel tanks, causing an explosion that destroyed one of the wings. His father, a dentist in Allentown, Pa., was giving a lecture at the University of Puerto Rico and brought his wife. They said that the order would create a false impression that the risk of lightning strikes had been resolved. See attachment No. 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. Thirty-eight mentioned an explosion at impact. Sincerely, Ron Heck. In an area about 1,600 feet long, centered approximately 4,300 feet from the impact crater, the wreckage consisted mainly of more dense pieces, such as center section fuel cell bags and backing strips, horizontal tail leading edge deicer strips, etc. 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. Our obligation is to document history, and this was a sad one, but a formative one, Dixon said. This briefing included a discussion of SIGMET No. [3], Investigators rapidly located the flight data recorder, but it was badly damaged in the crash. Consequently, only that portion of the program that appears to be relevant to the subject accident will be discussed. Here we go." Published Jul 1, 2019. He responded Sunday night after hearing the call to come in over the radio while working on a school report about the assassination of President Kennedy. 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. All 81 occupants of the plane were killed. 8:42p.m. I still like Christmas very much, he said. Thinking about the incident today, Shaffer questions whether it was easier for him to handle the situation than the older men in the fields, those who likely questioned what would happen to their families if they were killed in a horrific accident. When the general alarm went out for all available ambulances, Steward W. Godwin, 56, responded on the North East Volunteer Fire Company unit.
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