Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Datum: | Freitag 11 April 1952 |
Zeit: | 12:20 AST |
Flugzeugtyp: | Douglas DC-4 |
Fluggesellschaft: | Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) |
Kennzeichen: | N88899 |
Werknummer: | 10503 |
Baujahr: | 1945 |
Betriebsstunden: | 20835 |
Triebwerk: | 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2000 |
Besatzung: | Todesopfer: 0 / Insassen: 5 |
Fluggäste: | Todesopfer: 52 / Insassen: 64 |
Gesamt: | Todesopfer: 52 / Insassen: 69 |
Sachschaden: | Zerstört |
Konsequenzen: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
Unfallort: | 18 km (11.3 Meilen) NW vom Land entfernt von San Juan-Isla Grande Airport (SIG) ( Puerto Rico)
|
Flugphase: | Während des Fluges (ENR) |
Betriebsart: | Inländischer planmäßiger Passagierflug |
Flug von: | San Juan-Isla Grande Airport (SIG/TJIG), |
Flug nach: | New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY (IDL/KIDL), USA |
Flugnummer: | PA526A |
Unfallbericht:The aircraft, named "Clipper Endeavour" took off from San Juan at 12:11 for a flight to New York when the no. 3 engine failed. The prop was feathered at 350 feet and the crew elected to return to San Juan. The aircraft reached an altitude of 550 feet but the no. 4 engine ran roughly and height couldn't be maintained. To avoid a possible forced landing in a congested area or on coral reef, the aircraft was ditched 11 miles NW of San Juan Airport, 4,5 miles offshore. The rear fuselage broke off behind the bulkhead aft of the main cabin. The plane sank in about 3 minutes.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "a) The company's inadequate maintenance in not changing the No. 3 engine which resulted in its failure immediately subsequent to take-off, and b) The persistent action of the captain in attempting to re-establish a climb, without using all available power, following the critical loss of power to another engine. This resulted in a nose-high attitude, progressive loss of airspeed and the settling of the aircraft at too low an altitude to effect recovery,"
Accident investigation:
|
Investigating agency: | CAB |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 168 days (6 months) | Accident number: | final report | Download report: | Final report
|
|
Informationsquelle:
» CAB File No. 1-0026
» Ditch or crash-land?/B.W. Townshend, 1965 (30-32)
» ICAO Circular 38-AN/33 (58-60)
Sicherheitsempfehlungen
It was recommended to, in future, brief passengers about location and usage of floatation equipment and emergency exits before over-water flights.
Fotos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from San Juan-Isla Grande Airport to New York-Idlewild International Airport, NY as the crow flies is 2559 km (1599 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the 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.