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| Date: | Wednesday 9 May 1962 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Douglas C-54B (DC-4) |
| Owner/operator: | Slick Airways |
| Registration: | N88894 |
| MSN: | 10496 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Lamesa, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
At 6,500 feet, msl about 1 hour after take-off, a failure of the No. 1 engine occurred. The pilots established course to Webb AFB, about 75 miles southeast and dumped fuel from the Nos . 1 and 4 fuel tanks. Shortly thereafter, at 5,500 feet msl and an airspeed of 130 knots, engine temperature for the No . 3 engine reached critical limits and the engine was shut down. Fuel was dumped from the Nos . 2 and 3 fuel tanks. En route to Webb in turbulent air conditions, the temperatures of the operating engines under METO power approached critical limits. In compromising between temperature, altitude and airspeed, the aircraft descended to 3,500 feet msl. About 23 miles from Webb while being vectored around a thunderstorm, severe downdrafts compounded the turbulence air condition and resulted in descent to an extremely low level where the avoidance of a transmission line necessitated a wheels-up landing on open terrain, elevation 2,880 feet, msl.
Examination of the No. 1 engine showed it had failed at the front crankshaft crank pin. The cylinders and valves of the No . 3 engine revealed heavy lead deposits and 2 cylinders were cracked in the area of the spark plug bushing . There was internal oil leakage in the oil pump. Brief tests of the Nos. 2 and 4 engines revealed normal operation. A review of the weather conditions showed an outside temperature of 93 degrees Fahrenheit . Over the route, turbulence of moderate intensity would have existed. In the vicinity of the accident, outflow on the backside of the thunderstorm would have been expected to cause the downdrafts which were encountered. These conditions, together with the existing high engine temperatures, would seriously impair the marginal capability of the aircraft for continued flight as indicated by two-engine performance data for the aircraft.
Probable Cause:
Failure of the Nos. 1 and 3 engines under adverse weight and weather conditions resulting in the aircraft being unable to maintain flight
Sources:
The Victoria Sdvocat 10 May 1962, p1 n
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-May-2021 08:31 | TB | Added |
| 04-Jan-2025 06:45 | Cobar | Updated [Registration, Operator, Phase, Nature, Source, Damage, ] |
| 04-Jan-2025 06:52 | ASN | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Nature, Damage, Narrative, ] |
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