ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation N102R Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Tuesday 24 November 1959
Time:05:35
Type:Silhouette image of generic CONI model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation
Operator:Trans World Airlines - TWA
Registration: N102R
MSN: 4824
First flight: 1957
Engines: 4 Wright R-3350 (988TC18EA3)
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Ground casualties:Fatalities: 8
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:0,4 km (0.3 mls) SE of Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Cargo
Departure airport:Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW/KMDW), United States of America
Destination airport:Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America
Flightnumber:TW595
Narrative:
A Lockheed Constellation, N102R, crashed into a residential area about 400 m southeast of Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW), killing all three persons aboard, demolishing the aircraft, and fatally injuring eight persons on the ground.
TWA Flight 595, loaded with cargo, took off on runway 31L of Midway at approximately 0531, bound for Los Angeles, CA (LAX). As the aircraft began a left turn, the crew notified Midway Tower they had received a fire warning on the No. 2 engine and had shut it down. They also informed the tower the flight would return and land.
The aircraft proceeded in a continuing left turn around the airport in an elliptical pattern and below the clouds which were based at an altitude of 500 to 600 feet.
In the turn to final approach to runway 31 the aircraft banked in excess of 45 degrees during which it developed an excessive rate of sink. When the aircraft reached the tops of the trees its wings were nearly level and its nose was raised in a climbing attitude; however, the descent continued. The wing flaps were being retracted during the last 5 to 10 seconds of the final descent and were found to be symmetrically extended at 24 percent upon impact.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The manoeuvring of the aircraft in a manner that caused it to develop an excessive rate of sink while in the turn to final approach."

Accident investigation:

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

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 64-AN/58 (80-83)


Photos

photo of Lockheed-L-1049H-Super-Constellation-N102R
accident date: 24-11-1959
type: Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation
registration: N102R
photo of Lockheed-L-1049H-Super-Constellation-N102R
 

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 Chicago-Midway Airport, IL to Los Angeles International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 2792 km (1745 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.
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