Date:	Saturday 20 September 1947
Time:	18:23
Type:	Douglas DC-4
Owner/operator:	Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)
Registration:	NC88911
MSN:	27229
Year of manufacture:	1944
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 41
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	New York-Floyd Bennett Field, NY (NOP) -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Bermuda Air Terminal (BDA/TXKF)
Destination airport:	New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA/KLGA)
Investigating agency:	CAB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Three hours into the flight problems with the right hand fuel system caused the captain to attempt to operate the no. 3 and 4 engines from their respective main tanks. Both engines failed a little later. Flight was continued on 2 engines until the fire warning light came on for both no. 3 and 4 engines. Shortly after firing the no. 3 engine CO2 bottle the landing gear leg dropped down with its tire burning. Full takeoff power was applied as the crew prepared for a ditching. The aircraft was able to reach Floyd Bennett and landed 775 feet from the south end of runway 01, skidding for another 2167 feet on the runway. It appeared that the engine problems were caused by electrical arcing between an aluminum battery bus bar and an engine control pulley bracket in the no. 3 engine nacelle.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was electrical arcing between the battery 'bus' and an engine control pulley bracket in the No 3 engine nacelle. This arcing resulted from the lack of adequate protection for the 'bus'."

Air Britain Casualty compendium (pt. 46)
CAB File No. 1-0083

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