Vliegtuigongeval op 16 DEC 1960 met Douglas DC-8-11 N8013U - New York, NY
ASN logo
 

Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Datum:vrijdag 16 december 1960
Tijd:10:33
Type:Silhouette image of generic dc81 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas DC-8-11
Luchtvaartmaatschappij:United Airlines
Registratie: N8013U
Constructienummer: 45290/22
Bouwjaar: 1959
Aantal vlieguren:2434
Motoren: 4 Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6
Bemanning:slachtoffers: 7 / inzittenden: 7
Passagiers:slachtoffers: 77 / inzittenden: 77
Totaal:slachtoffers: 84 / inzittenden: 84
Slachtoffers op de grond:slachtoffers: 6
Botsingsslachtoffers:slachtoffers: 44
Schade: Vernield
Gevolgen: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Plaats:New York, NY (   Verenigde Staten)
Fase: Nadering (APR)
Soort vlucht:Binnenlandse lijnvlucht
Vliegveld van vertrek:Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL (ORD/KORD), Verenigde Staten
Vliegveld van aankomst:New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL), Verenigde Staten
Vluchtnummer:UA826
Beschrijving:
TWA Flight 266, a Lockheed Constellation, departed Port Columbus Airport at 09:00 bound for New York-LaGuardia Airport. Around the same time, at 09:11, United Air Lines Flight 826 departed Chicago O'Hare Airport. The flight was carried out by DC-8 N8013U and was bound for New York-Idlewild Airport.
At approximately 10:12 New York Air Route Traffic Control Center was contacted by United Flight 826. The ARTCC controller cleared the flight down to FL250. At 10:15 New York Center advised "United 826, clearance limit is Preston Intersection via Jet 60 Victor to Allentown direct to Robbinsville, via Victor 123 maintain flight level 250." Ten minutes later New York Center offered a short cut "826 cleared to proceed on Victor 30 until intercepting Victor 123 and that way to Preston. It'll be a little bit quicker." This new routing shortened the distance to the Preston Intersection by approximately 11 miles. The flight was then cleared down to FL110. At 10:30, United 826 was cleared to "descend to and maintain 5,000 feet." This was acknowledged and 826 reported leaving 14,000 feet. The Center then asked, "Look like you'll be able to make Preston at 5,000?" The answer was that they would try. At 10:32 the Center controller stated "United 826, if holding is necessary at Preston, southwest one minute pattern right turns ... the only delay will be in descent." One minute later he instructed Flight 826 to contact Idlewild Approach Control. The flight was supposed to have held at the Preston intersection until approach clearance had been obtained from the Approach controller. The DC-8 however had already proceeded past the Preston intersection, heading down the V123 airway towards Miller Army Air Station on Staten Island. The crew were not aware of this and reported to the Approach controller that they were " approaching Preston at 5,000."
At the same time, the TWA Lockheed Constellation was also heading in the direction of Miller Army Air Station, while preparing for a runway 04 ILS approach at LaGuardia Airport. The flight was descending to 5,000 feet when it was advised of "traffic at 2.30, six miles northeast-bound", which was the United DC-8. At 10:33.14, LaGuardia Approach Control issued clearance to continue descent to 1,500. At 10:33, LaGuardia Approach Control advised. "...that appears to be jet traffic off your right now 3 o'clock at one mile, northeast-bound."
At an altitude of approximately 5,200 feet amsl the no. 4 engine of the United DC-8 sliced open the top of the fuselage of the Constellation. The Constellation broke in three sections and crashed in flames on Staten Island, Miller Army Air Station. The DC-8 continued for another 13,5 km before crashing in a residential area of Brooklyn, killing 5 people on the ground.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "United Flight 826 proceeded beyond its clearance limit and the confines of the airspace allocated to the flight by Air Traffic Control. A contributing factor was the high rate of speed of the United DC-8 as it approached the Preston Intersection, coupled with the change of clearance which reduced the en route distance along Victor 123 by approximately 11 miles."

Accident investigation:

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

Bronnen:
» CAB File No. 1-0083
» ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 64-AN/58 (314-328)


Foto's

photo of Douglas-DC-8-11-
Flight paths of United 826 and TWA 266.
 

Kaart
Deze kaart geeft het vliegveld van vetrek weer en de geplande bestemming van de vlucht. De lijn tussen de vliegvelden geeft niet de exacte vliegroute weer.
De afstand tussen Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, IL en New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY bedraagt 1180 km (737 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages: languages

Share

DC-8

  • 556 built
  • The first ongeval
  • The first dodelijk ongeval
  • The zwaarste ongeval (toen het plaatsvond)
  • 10e zwaarste ongeval (op dit moment)
» safety profile

 Verenigde Staten
  • The zwaarste ongeval (toen het plaatsvond)
  • 19e zwaarste ongeval (op dit moment)
» safety profile

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org