Crash-aerien 16 OCT 1956 d'un Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29 N90943 - San Francisco, CA, USA
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Statuts:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:mardi 16 octobre 1956
Heure:06:15
Type/Sous-type:Silhouette image of generic b377 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29
Compagnie:Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)
Immatriculation: N90943
Numéro de série: 15959/36
Année de Fabrication: 1949-08-02 (7 years 3 months)
Moteurs: 4 Pratt & Whitney R-4360-B6
Equipage:victimes: 0 / à bord: 7
Passagers:victimes: 0 / à bord: 24
Total:victimes: 0 / à bord: 31
Dégats de l'appareil: Perte Totale
Conséquences: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Lieu de l'accident:1800 km (1125 milles) SW de San Francisco, CA, USA (   Océan Pacifique)
Phase de vol: En vol (ENR)
Nature:Transport de Passagers Nat.
Aéroport de départ:Honolulu International Airport, HI (HNL/PHNL), Etats-Unis d'Amérique
Aéroport de destination:San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO), Etats-Unis d'Amérique
Numéro de vol:PA6
Détails:
PanAm Stratocruiser N90943 was on a round-the-world flight from Philadelphia to San Francisco with stops in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The aircraft took off from Honolulu at 20:26 HST for the last leg of the flight to San Francisco. The flight was cleared via Green Airway 9, track to 30deg N, 140deg W at FL130 and then at FL210 to San Francisco. About half way, at 01:02 the crew requested a VFR climb to FL210, which was approved. Immediately after reaching this altitude (at 01:19) the no. 1 engine oversped. Reduction of airspeed didn't help and the prop could not be feathered, so the engine was cut. As the aircraft was losing altitude a ditching seemed imminent. US Coast Guard weather station 'November' was contacted at 01:22 about the possible ditching. Climb power was then applied to the remaining engines. The no. 4 engine however, was only developing partial power at full throttle. Despite these problems the crew managed to maintain altitude at 5000 feet at an airspeed of 135 knots. Remaining fuel was insufficient however to reach San Francisco or fly back to Honolulu. The crew decided to orbit the cutter 'November' and wait for daylight to carry out the ditching. Meanwhile electric water lights were laid by the cutter to illuminate a track for the aircraft. At 02:45 the no. 4 engine backfired and failed. The prop was feathered. At 05:40 the captain contacted the cutter again about the intended ditching time and descended to 900 feet. The ditching was carried out at 06:15 with full flaps, gear up and at a speed of 90 knots. The fuselage broke off aft of the main cabin door. The tail section swung to the left, trapping the liferaft launched from the main cabin door. Some 3 minutes after all occupants had been rescued, at 06:32 the aircraft sank at position 30deg01.5'N, 140deg09'W.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "An initial mechanical failure which precluded feathering the no. 1 propeller and a subsequent mechanical failure which resulted in a complete loss of power from the no. 4 engine, the effects of which necessitated a ditching."

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency: CAB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.8, Circular 54-AN/49 (133-137)


Photos

photo of Boeing-377-Stratocruiser-10-29-N90943
accident date: 16-10-1956
type: Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29
registration: N90943
photo of Boeing-377-Stratocruiser-10-29-N90943
accident date: 16-10-1956
type: Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29
registration: N90943
photo of Boeing-377-Stratocruiser-10-29-N90943
accident date: 16-10-1956
type: Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29
registration: N90943
photo of Boeing-377-Stratocruiser-10-29-N90943
accident date: 16-10-1956
type: Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29
registration: N90943
 

Video, social media

Plan
Ce plan montre l'aéroport de départ ainsi que la supposée destination du vol. La ligne fixe reliant les deux aéroports n'est pas le plan de vol exact.
La distance entre Honolulu International Airport, HI et San Francisco International Airport, CA est de 3835 km (2397 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

Les informations ci-dessus ne représentent pas l'opinion de la 'Flight Safety Foundation' ou de 'Aviation Safety Network' sur les causes de l'accident. Ces informations prélimimaires sont basées sur les faits tel qu'ils sont connus à ce jour.
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Boeing 377

  • 56 built
  • 6ème loss
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