ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed 18-56 Lodestar N300E Grants, NM
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Saturday 22 March 1958
Time:02:40
Type:Silhouette image of generic L18 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed 18-56 Lodestar
Operating for:M. Todd
Leased from:Ayer Lease Plan
Registration: N300E
MSN: 18-2312
First flight: 1942
Total airframe hrs:3910
Engines: 2 Wright R-1820-56A
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Total:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:20 km (12.5 mls) SW of Grants, NM (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Hollywood-Lockheed Air Terminal, CA (BUR/KBUR), United States of America
Destination airport:Tulsa (unknown airport), OK, United States of America
Narrative:
Lodestar N300E had been leased to movie producer Michael Todd since October 1957 and flight crew was provided by Linden Flight Service.
En route from Burbank to Tulsa, he flight made routine position reports from its assigned altitude of 11,000 feet until passing over Winslow, AZ. Shortly after the last routine report at 11,000 feet a higher altitude was requested of ATC because of encountering icing conditions. The request was granted and the aircraft reported, five minutes later, being at 13,000 feet between cloud layers. The last report was over Zuni, NM, estimating Grants at 02:49. Ten minutes after this report a ground explosion at an elevation of 7,200 feet msl was observed by another flight and by ground witnesses. The right engine master rod bearing had failed in flight and the right propeller was feathered; however, complete loss of control followed and the aircraft struck the ground in a very steep angle of descent. There is evidence of the aircraft being considerably over its maximum allowable weight at departure and it is believed that the comparatively sudden failure of an engine at 13,000 feet created a situation, made more critical by virtue of the then existing weight, in which the pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the loss of control of an overloaded aircraft following the failure of an engine at a cruising altitude which was critical for single-engine operation. The loss of control was aggravated by surface ice accretion."

Accident investigation:

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

Sources:
» CAB File No. 2-0038


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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.
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