Utah Express Flight 563On the 16th of June, 1955, a North American B-25 Mitchell operated by Utah Express flew into a hill in a beautiful sunny day for unknown reasons. All 15 on board were killed. __________________________________________________________________ Flight : Utah Express Flight 563 was a scheduled passenger flight from Utah to The So Cal Nevada Interstate airport, the airliner used different planes and different departure spots for this flight, sometimes the planes would take off from an empty field due to the lack of airports in Utah at the time. A DC-3 was mostly used for this flight, but a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber operated the 16th of June flight due to engine related problems with the DC-3. The crew of the B-25 consisted of an experienced former Air Force captain, a new pilot as the first officer, a new flight engineer and 1 flight attendant. The B-25 Had full fuel on both tanks and 11 passengers. Crash : The B-25 Toke off from an empty wide area near the mountains at 7 am, people described that the plane was flying completely normal until it was seen flying right into a mountain. The bomber kept heading into the mountain and it was seen making an almost -90 degree roll before impacting the mountain at high speed. The plane was completely destroyed and all on board died instantly. Crash sight seen in early 2018. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (N13956 Seen some minutes before the fatal crash) Date : 16 / June / 1955 Site : Utah Summary : Controlled Flight Into Terrain shortly after take-off for unknown reasons Operator : Utah Express Aircraft type : North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber Registration : N13956 Flight number : 563 Crew : 4 Passengers : 11 Survivors : 0 Fatalities : 15 (all) Route : Utah to So Cal Nevada Interstate Nature : Scheduled passenger flight Phase : Initial Climb / En route Damage : Destroyed Narrative : Flew into a hill for unknown reasons shortly after take off, all on board killed. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Investigation : "The investigation team couldn't publish a probable cause based on the available information and wreckage examination". Photos :
Sometimes this happens: Flew trough a tree, it just ignited the plane, still flew fine after that Sorry, there is no way I could be able to do a proper stories like you Adam, it takes dedication and skills to craft those stories you make.
Vellav Airlines Flight 3965Vellav Airlines Flight 3965 was a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, registration YV-8021, that crashed minutes after take off in a field killing all on board on the 13th of February, 1960, in the So Cal Nevada Interstate, Nevada. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Flight Information : Flight 3965 was a scheduled passenger flight that would toke passengers from Nevada to Yellav Valley, the airliner, Vellav Airlines, used different planes for this flight, but it mostly used an old B-25 Mitchell. The aircraft for this flight was a North American B-25 Mitchell, registration YV-8021, serial number unknown. The bomber was used by the Royal Air Force during war times and it was sold to Yellav Airlines in 1959. The bomber had no previous accidents or incident and it was one of the best planes used by Vellav Airlines at the time. The occupants that day were the cockpit crew, both pilots and a flight engineer, as well as 4 company workers for Vellav Airlines. The bomber was loaded with dangerous cargo including flammable boxes and batteries. YV-8021 Seen some days before the ill-fated flight in The So Cal Nevada Interstate while preparing to take off from the abandoned airfield near some shops. The bomber toke off from the same airfield seen in the photo, it made 2 left turns then reached 2500. It kept flying at 2500 until it suddenly plunged into the ground. It hit the ground nose-first and broke into many pieces because of the impact forces. Crash site in 2018. Photo via The Nevada Air Transportation Safety Board. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (The scattered wreckage of YV-8021) Date : 13 / 2 / 1960 Site : a field some miles away from the abandoned airfield, So Cal Nevada Interstate, United States of America Summary : Uncontrolled Flight Into Terrain, Autopilot failure Aircraft Type : North American B-25 Mitchell Operator : Yellav Airlines Registration : YV-8021 Crew : 3 Passengers : 4 Survivors : 0 (1 initially) Fatalities : 7 (all) Phase : En route Nature : Scheduled Passenger Flight Route : Nevada To Yellav Valley Damage : Destroyed Departure Airport : Abandoned Airfield (Nevada) Destination Airport : Yellav Valley Airport Flight Number : 3965 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Accident Details : The aircraft toke off from the airfield at around 6 am after sunrise, the aircraft climbed a little bit then made a left turn, it continued flying at the same altitude for a few kilometers then it made a second left turn. The captain made the plane climb to 2500 feet after completing the 2nd turn. It kept flying at 2500 feet for a few miles until it was seen diving to the ground nose-first. It kept diving until it hit an empty field near a small river at a very high speed, the bomber broke up due to the high speed impact (and impact forces) killing 6 of the 7 on board instantly, the passenger who was sitting in the back of the bomber (tail section) survived for a few hours before passing away from his injures. a police officer captured 2 photos of the bomber. The first one shows the bomber before the impact and the second one shows the bomber some parts of the second after it hit the ground. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Investigation : The NTSB sent a team of investigators to determine the probable cause of the accident. It toke them 2 years to finish the investigation because the bomber was completely destroyed from the impact. The plane hit the ground at a roll of -29.0 ° and a pitch of -58.3 °. Photos via NTSB... - Final Report : The NTSB Determines the probable cause of the accident as the following: "The disconnection of the autopilot system due to failures in the plane's modifications and the destruction of the control surfaces shortly after take off, these failures were caused by improper installation of the new auto pilot system by the airliner. Another main factor was that the Captain couldn't pull out from the nose-dive because of the deterioration and eventual breaking of a pitch control cables. Contributing factors were the failure of the ground crew and airliner engineers to properly check the plane." _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1950 USAF 'Peacemaker 25' CrashOn the 12th of August, 1950, a United States Air Force North American B-25 Mitchell, registration 45-1235PC, callsign 'Peacemaker 25', was operating a cargo flight for a Russian airliner when it crashed under complete unknown circumstances in the Russian Roads region. Everyone on board perished and the bomber was destroyed. ________________________________________________________ Info : 'Peacemaker 25' was a 7 years old B-25 North American Mitchell Bomber used for peaceful/partner flights/missions with European cargo operators, mostly Russian ones. The aircraft had 5 crew members, 2 pilots, one flight engineer, 2 USAF soldiers and 3 passengers working for the 'Russian Air Freight' airliner. The bomber departed from an unknown airfield near the Russian Roads region, the destination airport was unknown as well. Crash : The bomber was reportedly flying at 3000 feet when it went out of control, it nose dived into the ground in seconds for unknown reasons, some eyewitnesses reported seeing fire coming out of the aircraft and others reported 'shooting in the skies'. The bomber impacted the ground in a complete nose-down position and burst into flames, emergency services arrived in minutes and put out the fire, but they discovered that no one survived because of the impact forces and post-impact fire. (Post impact fire) (A Russian Aircraft claimed this photo shows the last moments of the B-25 before crashing) ________________________________________________________ (Reported photo of 'Peacemaker 25' minutes before it crashed) Date: 12 / August / 1950 Site: Russian Roads Region, Russia Summary: Unknown and disputed, Loss of Control (possible) Aircraft type: North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber Operator: USAF opf of Russian Air Freight Registration: 45-1235PC Crew: 5 Passengers: 3 Survivors: 0 Fatalities: 8 (all) Injures (non-fatal): Ground injures, number unknown Phase: En Route Nature: Cargo Route: Unknown to Unknown Departure Airport: Unnamed Airfield near RR Destination Airport: Unknown Flight Number/Callsign: Peacemaker 25 Investigation : Though a formal investigation was never made, the Russian Transportation Safety Board released the probable cause of the accident as the following: "The aircraft suddenly nose-dived into the ground for unknown reasons. Contributing factors were the commander's decision to fly at 3000 feet in a dangerous area, low visibility, full fuel on both tanks which caused the post-impact fire to be more fatal" Photo Gallery : The following wreckage photos were released by the Investigation team when the investigation was completed.
Ocean Blue Cargo Flight 56Ocean Blue Cargo Flight 56 was a scheduled cargo flight from Sandy Mountains to The So Cal Nevada Interstate. On the 15th of September, 1990, flight 56 was operated using a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber that crashed shortly after departure from The Sandy Mountains. The bomber was destroyed and all 5 crew members on board were fatally injured. (a mountain hiker managed to snap this photo that shows Flight 56 last seconds) Date : 15 / September / 1990 Site : Sandy Mountains Summary : Loss of control due to crew error Aircraft type : North American B-25 Mitchell Registration : N3815M Operator : Ocean Blue Cargo Crew : 5 Survivors : 0 (3 initially) Fatalities : 5 (all) Phase : En-route Nature : Scheduled Cargo Flight Departure : Sandy Mountains Destination : So Cal Nevada Interstate Flight Number : 56 Crash : Flight 56 departed The Sandy Mountains Airport at 7 pm, there were 2 pilots, 1 flight engineer and 2 cargo load workers, the aircraft climbed to 3000 feet when one of first officer said "Lets do some action", the Captain replied "a Barrel roll maybe!", the flight engineer said "Remember, we are not on a Caravan or any smaller plane to do this perfectly, take care". At 7:07, approx 5 minutes after take off, the crew rose the nose of the plane and begun the unnecessary manoeuvre, the bomber turned upside down and started to pitch down, the pilots tried to correct it, but the captain found out that the co-pilot was increasing the rate of descend (nose down pitch) and it was too late to recover, the bomber impacted a mountain at 7:09, both pilots were killed instantly, the remaining 3 crew members survived the crash and post-impact fire, but they passed away some hours after getting transported to the nearest hospital. Cause : "The NTSB Determines the probable cause of the accident as the following (1- Both pilots decision to start an unnecessary dangerous manoeuvre using a heavy WW2 Bomber (2- Both pilots failure to recover the plane from an inverted position (3- Ocean Blue's failure to warn it's pilots for repeatedly doing dangerous actions during flights (4- Lack of pilot training. Contributing factors were: - An electric malfunction of an unknown source in an unknown part seconds before the impact. (Crash site)
Green Valley Airways Flight 804Green Valley Airways Flight 804 was a scheduled passenger flight from Green Valley Airport to So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport. On the 6th of June, 1955, flight 804 was operated using a North American B-25 Mitchell when it flew into a hillside located in Green Valley resulting in the deaths of all 10 on board. ________________________________________________________________________________________ (A Green Valley Airways B-25 Mitchell identical to the one involved in the crash) Date : 6 / June / 1955 Site : Green Valley, United States of America Summary : CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) Aircraft type : North American B-25 Mitchell Operator : Green Valley Airways Registration : NV18503 Crew : 3 Passengers : 7 Survivors : 0 Fatalities : 10 (all) Phase : En route Nature : Scheduled Passenger Flight Departure : So Cal Nevada Interstate Destination : Green Valley Airport Flight number : 804 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Aircraft and Flight : The bomber, NV18503, was one of the 5 new B-25s that were introduced to Green Valley Airways fleet after stopping operation with the USAF and getting sold as civilian planes. The airliner was of the many that were interested in buying these B-25 because they were cheap and upgraded for civilian use. Flight 804 was a scheduled passenger flight that would take passengers from the So Cal Nevada Interstate to the Green Valley Airport, the airliner used a DC-4 for this flight, but it was replaced with NV18503 because the DC-4 had maintenance problems. The B-25 departed the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, after a long flight, the crew started to descent because they wanted to start approaching the Green Valley Airport, the skies were clear and weather was good at the time of the accident. Just some hours after the sunrise, the B-25 was seen making a right turn before it clipped some trees and impacted mountain terrain. The bomber caught fire and was destroyed a few minutes later. Rescue workers reached the crash site after 2 hours because of the high and hard terrain. They found out that no one survived the crash. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Cause : The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause of the accident as the following: The aircraft's encounter with downdrafts while making a left turn near mountain terrain which caused it to clip trees and impact the terrain. Contributing factors were (1- The low power given by both engines for unknown reasons, (2- The bomber was not equipped with enough instruments to give the crew all the information about weather, (3- The captain's decision to make a steep left turn near mountain terrain. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Wreckage :
Mammoth Airlines Flight 4556Mammoth Airline Flight 4556 was a scheduled passenger flight from Mammoth Valley to Salt Lake City. On the 25th of January, 1957, the flight was operated using a North American B-25 Mitchell when it crashed approx 5 minutes after taking off from an open field in adverse weathers conditions, killing everyone on board. Aircraft and Flight : The plane involved in the accident was a former United States Air Force North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, registration N62545, it was built in 1949 and stayed in service to 1956, before getting sold to Mammoth Airlines, an airliner that operates old planes in rough snowy weather conditions. The bomber had no incidents during its operation times with the USAF and it had 7745 flying hours. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were bad. Heavy fog and a snow storm prevented Mammoth Airlines from flying/testing their new DC-6 because they had fears it would crash, so they replaced the DC-6 with the North American B-25 Bomber. The crew that day consisted of Captain Felix Hunt, a former USAF pilot, aged 54, he was a very experienced pilot with over 11.000 flying hours, 4000 in which were in a B-25 Bomber, his Co-pilot was First Officer Martin Charts, he was one of the new pilots to Mammoth Airlines with approximately 3000 flying hours. The third cockpit crew was a 39 years old Steve Marlin, an experienced flight engineer and navigator who spent his life with Mammoth Airlines. There were 10 people in the cabin, flight attendant Lucy Loog, aged 23, and 9 passengers. Captain Felix toke off from an empty field at 5:31 AM in adverse weather conditions. The bomber was last seen climbing at an altitude higher than the Mammoth Valley Mountains at 5:36 AM, so the Air Traffic Controller thought that bad weather conditions and high altitude caused the ATC system to stop working. The wreckage of the aircraft was discovered at 7:21 PM, nearly 2 hours after the crash. Local workers and the Mammoth Valley Police tried to help and transported all the victim bodies to the nearest hospital where doctors announced that everyone expect the flight attendant, died from the impact. Lucy passed away some minutes after entering the operations room. Flight 4556 wreckage seen 7 hours after the crash. (N62545 seen while climbing, 2 minutes before impact) Date : 25 / 1 / 1957 Site : Mammoth Valley Mountains, Southern Utah, USA Summary : Breakdown of the ATC system and mechanical failure in adverse weather conditions led to CFIT Aircraft type : North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber Operator : Mammoth Airlines Registration : N62545 Crew : 4 Passengers : 9 Survivors : 0 (1 initially) Fatalities : 13 (all) Phase : En route Nature : Scheduled Passenger Flight Departure Airport : Mammoth Valley, Utah- Destination Airport : Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah- Flight Number : 4556 Investigation : An experienced team of investigators visited the crash site the following day to determine the cause of the accident, Mammoth Valley said that neither pilots sent a distress call before the crash and everything seemed alright, the investigators recovered a recording machine used by Mammoth Airlines to study their pilots communications during flights, they recovered the ATC transcript that was recorded as well and radar data (info). Impact : The bomber clipped several trees before the nose directly struck big trees, the fuselage broke into 3 parts, all of which were destroyed by the impact forces with the ground and trees at high speed, the cockpit and nose were cut in a half, the wings were destroyed and both engines were damaged to the point they couldn't get scrapped, the mid and tail section were the most recognizable parts, even tho the mid section was destroyed and nearly completely crushed. The flight attendant survived the impact because she stayed in the tail section, but she passed away due to the various injures and late rescue. The most recognizable wreckage. - ATC System Failure : The main cause of the accident, the system failure was caused by bad weather conditions which made the nearby radar and electricity tower give wrong information to the Air Traffic Controller, contributing factors were the high mountains, lack of attention given to the ATC tower located in Mammoth Valley, instruments and a transponder failure on board the B-25. - Cause : The investigators finished their final report after 2 years... "The team determines the probable cause of the accident as the following: Breakdown of the Air Traffic Control system to due adverse weather conditions and bad technology. Heavy fog, snowstorm, bad weather conditions Mechanical failure of the B-25's instruments system which led to the failure of most cockpit instruments and the transponder. This mechanical failure was caused by faulty wiring and a fatigue crack inside the electric machines. The transponder's failure due to many factors, the most important one being low clouds and bad weather. Photo Gallery : Photo of the bomber during take off Wreckage :
West Coast Airlines Flight 864West Coast Airlines Flight 864 was a scheduled passenger flight from The West Coast Airport to the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, mostly operated using a two propeller/piston engine plane. On the 4th of March, 1960, flight 864 was operated using a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, the plane was flying above the So Cal Nevada Interstate when it lost control and crashed into a mountain not far from it's destination airport. The bomber was completely destroyed and all occupants were fatally injured. Flight Information : Flight 864 departed an unnamed airport located in The West Coast, USA, for a long flight to The So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, the plane had max fuel and weight, the departure was delayed due to an incident involving a small aircraft at the unnamed airport. The bomber toke off from the airport at 5 AM, it climbed to 5000 feet and flew behind other planes that were heading to Nevada. At 7:14 PM, the captain of flight 864 made his first communication with the Nevada ATC, the captain requested to descend, he was ordered to make a left turn during the descend to avoid an incoming Pan American Boeing 707, the B-25 dove into the ground while making the left turn, it kept going down and some parts broke up (separated) during the nose first dive, the B-25 flew inverted at a very high speed, approx 400 mph, before impacting a road located at the top of a mountain range, the aircraft was completely destroyed, 90% of the wreckage was unrecognizable and the wreckage covered the entire mountain range and downhills. All on board were probably killed before the crash due to the insane G-Forces or were instantly killed from the unsurvivable impact. The aircraft involved was a former United States Air Force World War 2 bomber, it was built in 1949 and stayed in service till 1959, it was sold to West Coast Airlines a few weeks after getting 'abandoned' by the USAF. The bomber had no previous incidents or problems and it's new registration was N920W The occupants that day consisted of 4 crew members and 7 passengers, the cockpit crew were Captain John, a very experienced pilot who flew war planes in WW2, he had over 10.000 flying hours, 500 in which were in the B-25, his co-pilot was First Officer Joey, a 25 years old pilot who had just graduated from The West Coast Air Academy, he had approx 900 flying hours, 40 in which were in the B-25, the third occupant was a West Coast Airlines Flight engineer, whom name was not released, the only thing known about him that he had 6000 hours of experience. (N920W seen at The So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport a few weeks before the crash) Date : 4 / March / 1960 Site : So Cal Nevada Interstate, United States of America Summary : Elevator control tab detachment due to faulty repairing and maintenance which led to Loss of Control Aircraft Type : North American B-25 Mitchell Operator : West Coast Airlines Registration : N920W Crew : 4 Passengers : 7 Survivors : 0 Fatalities : 11 (all) Phase : En Route Nature : Scheduled Passenger Flight Departure Airport : Unknown Airport, West Coast of the US Destination Airport : So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, USA Flight Number : 864 Crash Details : At 7:14 PM, flight 864 called the Nevada Interstate ATC to get permission to descend from 11.000 feet to 4000 feet to start it's approach, the ATC allowed them to start the descend. The ATC forced flight 864 to start a left turn because of an incoming Pan American Boeing 707, the B-25 made the left turn, but the descend rate started to increase, the ATC asked flight 864 if they were having any trouble, the captain replied "Hold on for a sec". This was the last transmission from the flight before it was seen diving into the ground after losing control, the ATC asked a nearby Cessna pilot about what was happening, the Cessna pilot said "He is... Out of control". Flight 864 kept diving nose-first into the ground. It reached a speed of 400 mph or even more, the descend rate and high speed caused some parts to detach from the B-25, but amazingly, captain John managed to control the B-25 and force it to get inverted in hope of recovering. Due to the insane speed and rate of descend, the crew were unable of recovering and the bomber hit a road located at the top of a mountain range a few miles from its destination airport, it was instantly destroyed and all 11 occupants perished, it's unknown how they did tho, some suggest that they might have passed away due to the insane G-Forces during the dive, or they probably died instantly on impact. (Cause of death in dispute due to lack of body fragments). The last 13 seconds of the flight were filmed by an amateur photographer who was walking on a road a few miles away. - Cause : An experienced team of investigators were gathered to determine why the bomber dove into the ground and why were the pilots unable to regain control. The preliminary report was released 2 months after the crash, everyone thought that wake turbulence from the Pan American Boeing 707 caused the B-25 to lose control, this explanation is false because ATC info examination revealed that the 707 was far away from the B-25 and it was impossible for the B-25 to be caught in the 707's turbulence. The local people and the victims families had no other explanation so they said the crash was probably caused by a bomb or hijack. The Air Transportation Safety Board denied that and told everyone to wait for the investigation results. The final report was released 3 years later, here are what the investigators discovered : "The Board determines the probable cause of the accident involving West Coast Airlines Flight 864 as the: The detachment of the elevator control tabs due to unlocked nuts, nails and construction defects, this was caused by West Coast Airlines failure to properly follow correct maintenance procedures and their focus to finish them as fast as possible for more flights. The construction defects were not discovered by the airliner engineers which played a role in the detachment of the control tabs. Contributing factors were the sudden left turn request by the ATC due to an incoming plane, the high rate of speed and descend during the turn and the late recovery by the crew which was 'ruined' by the very low altitude." Photo Gallery:
1959 Nevada Interstate Highway USAF B-25 CrashOn the 26th of May, 1959, a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, registration 96-15385, of the United States Air Force stalled and impacted terrain in the Nevada Interstate Highway region while en route in bad weather conditions. The bomber was damaged beyond repair and all crew members survived the accident. (96-15385 Final seconds) Date : 26 / May / 1959 Site : Nevada Interstate Highway Region, USA Summary : Stall due to Microburst Type : North American B-25 Mitchell Operator : United States Air Force Registration : 96-15385 Crew : 4 Survivors : 4 (all) Fatalities : 0 Injures : 4 (2 minor, 2 serious) Damage : Damaged Beyond Repair Fate : Scrapped Phase : En route Nature : Military Training Departure Airport : Unknown Destination Airport : Unknown Narrative : The bomber was conducting a low fly over a river in poor weather conditions during a training flight, the aircraft started to lose speed and pitch up, the pilot put both engines on full power and tried to recover from the stall, but he couldn't recover and the bomber kept stalling until it impacted empty field terrain near a highway, the plane traveled for a few meters before coming to a complete stop. Both wings were substantially damaged, the engine's propellers came off and both were badly damaged as well, the undercarriage and the /left rudder + elevator/ separated from the structure, the nose and cockpit section suffered the same fate as well. All 4 crew members were injured, but they survived and every single one of them returned to fly planes after a few weeks. - Cause : "The bomber's encounter with downdrafts while flying at a very low altitude which resulted in a stall, contributing factors were (1- The crew were not trained to deal with such a phenomenon (2- Poor weather and visibility (3- Low altitude and speed." Photo Gallery :
Red Wings Airways Flight 1843 Red Wings Airways Flight 1843 was a scheduled passenger flight from The So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport to Idlewild Airport. On the 22nd of January, 1960, flight 1843 was operated using a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, registration N4950B, when it crashed 5 minutes after departure from the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, killing all 12 on board. The bomber impacted an empty field a few miles away from the airport in a near vertical descend. The cause of the accident was blamed on a design flaw and maintenance errors. - Flight History : Red Wings Airways route from New York to Nevada was mostly operated using a Douglas DC-7 as flight 1840, but the DC-7 was grounded due to a runway incursion with a Cessna, the airliner decided to board the passengers on a Douglas DC-6. Flight 1840 arrived at the So Cal Nevada Interstate before sunset with no incident. Eight passengers wanted to return to New York following a major accident in the hometown of their families, the airliner decided to use one of it's 3 B-25s for the flight, the DC-6 continued to Utah as flight 1851 and the B-25 operated flight 1843, a rarely used flight by the airline from Nevada to New York's Idlewild Airport. The aircraft departed the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport at 9:48 PM. The B-25 Disappeared from the ATC radar approx 5 minutes after take off at 9:53 PM, the bomber was last seen flying at 5000 feet. (N4950B seen at the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport in late 1959) - Aircraft : The aircraft involved in the accident was a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, it was bought by the airliner in 1958 alongside 2 bombers from the same type. N4950B was manufactured in 1942, it operated with the United States Air Force for 12 years (1942-1954). The aircraft was sold to a scarp company, but the company became bankrupt and most planes were left in empty desert areas. Red Wings was one of the many airlines that purchased the abandoned planes and repaired them to enter civilian use. The airframe had approx 15000 hours with one incident in the late 1940s when the rudder tab detached from the bomber and caused control problems, the crew managed to land the aircraft with no further problems. - Occupants : The bomber had 4 crew members, the Captain who had over 11000 hours in the air, he was a former USAF bomber pilot and was known for his good cockpit management. The co-pilot was a 21 years old First Officer who got his flying license 6 months before the accident, he had 500 hours in the air with 100 of them in the B-25. The last cockpit crew member was the flight engineer who had 5000 flying hours. The mid and tail section occupants were the Flight Attendant and the 8 passengers who wanted to return to New York following an explosion in Brooklyn, all of the passenger's families lived there, so it was obvious that they wanted to return to check if their families were OK. The impact killed everyone on board instantly, a few body fragments were recovered and most of them were not completely identified. - Flight History : Flight 1843 toke off from the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport at 9:48 PM heading to New York, the bomber toke off normally from the runway and no problems or technical problems were reported by the crew. The ATC advised flight 1843 to maintain 6000 feet, the crew agreed and started their climb. At exactly 9:53 PM, the bomber was seen descending at a very high speed, contact was lost with the aircraft and emergency services were requested. They located the fragments of the wreckage in an empty field a few miles away from the departure point, it was instantly discovered that no one survived. - Last minutes of the ATC : The following recording is the actual real one : "ATC : RW Flight 18... 43, be aware of a 707 ahead of you, you are advised to maintain 6000" " Captain : Roger that RW Flight 1843..." *Flight 1843 starts descending* " ATC : RW 1843 are you in trouble ?" " ATC : RW 1843 are you returning to the airport sir?" *Crash Occurs* " ATC : RW 1843 can you hear me?" " ATC : RW 1843 can you hear me?!" "Other ATC : He probably crashed, call emergency services" - Investigation : The The Civil Aviation Board (CAB) was the primary investigator of the accident involving Flight 1843, several photos of the wreckage were taken (including air photos). The wreckage was moved to a hangar in Nevada where the aircraft was rebuilt using the remaining fragments, only 50% of the aircraft's fuselage and parts were recovered and built again. The investigation of the accident was made private due to rising theories of a bomb as the cause of the crash. The Investigators managed to identify the aircraft's roll / pitch before it impacted terrain, they collected many photos, 2 of them were very important, eyewitnesses accounts were written and studied by special officers. It was discovered that the bomber started a nose-first pitch down descend when it reached 5000 feet, the crew were unable to recover from the dive making the crash unsurvivable. Most body fragments were sent to special Labs, but the autopsy failed to identify the passengers. - The 2 important photos, captured by a 51 years old police officer who heard the bomber going down, one photo shows the B-25 1 second before impacting the field and the second photo shows the bomber 1 part of the second after the impact. - Cause : It toke the investigators 3 years to publish their final report. The cause of the accident was the following : "The Civil Aviation Board determines the probable cause of the accident was the jamming of the tail section controls which resulted in an uncontrollable dive and loss of control due to (1- Destruction of the A.F.C Connection Link in the tail of the aircraft due to high loads and the failure of Red Wings Airways pilots to probably use the Rudder Pedals. (2- The detachment of the rudder tabs due to the airliner's failure to properly connect them with the fabric covered metal (3- Metal Fatigue in the Rudder Horn and Belt Crank due to design flaws during construction of the aircraft. Contributing factors were : 1- The fabric covered metal was rusted. 2- The crew were not trained to deal with such a loss of control occurance. 3- The airliner's failure to properly train their pilots to use the Rudder Pedals. Photo Gallery :
I've been trying to make a sort of recreation much like an episode of Mayday (or as some other regions may know it as Air Disasters) in which there is the crash recreations, and then a investigation outlying all the possible causes and the systematic way of proving them false, ultimately in a video format, but because I suck at this, well, if you want to help me in this, wether it be recording or editing or whatever, tell me please via pm
Mammoth Cargo Airlines Flight 3129 Mammoth Cargo Airlines Flight 3129 was a scheduled cargo flight from Mammoth Valley to The Green Valley Airport, USA. On the 10th of August, 1954, the flight was being operated by a Civilian North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, registration N1045B, when it crashed shortly after take-off from an empty field during snowy weather conditions in Mammoth Valley, USA. The bomber was destroyed and all 3 crew members suffered fatal injures. Aircraft and Flight : The aircraft involved in the accident was a North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber, used previously by the United States Air Force for training, it entered service with Mammoth Cargo Airlines in 1953. The bomber was never involved in an accident/incident. It was 10 years old. The crew that consisted of 3 people, the captain, who had over 9000 flying hours, the co-pilot, who had 4000 flying hours and the flight engineer who had 4500 flying hours. Flight 3129 toke-off from a field near a small town in Mammoth Valley, the cargo on board was below the limits and the crew reported no problems before and after take-off. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were bad, heavy fog and snow caused many car accidents thus the stoppage of air and ground traffic in Mammoth Valley. The Bomber impacted empty snowy field terrain near the town less than a minute after take-off, most of the bomber was fragmented, but some parts were recognizable. All 3 crew members were fatally injured. (N1045B seen taking-off from the same field a few weeks before the accident) Date : 10 / 8 / 1954 Site : Mammoth Valley, USA Summary : Icing, loss of control during climb-out Type : North American B-25 Mitchell Operator : Mammoth Cargo Airlines Registration : N1045B Crew : 3 Survivors : 0 (1 initially) Fatalities : 3 (all) Damage : Destroyed Phase : Initial Climb Nature : International Cargo Flight Departure Airport : Mammoth Valley Destination Airport : Green Valley Airport - Cause : "Icing on both wings, which resulted in loss of speed and control during climb-out, the crew did not de-ice before take-off due to the airliner's rules, the reason why the pilots decided to take-off in such weather conditions could not be determined."
The sad ending. AN-12B- (the plane) Site crash: Desert island somewhere :/ Story: Tom was getting into his very old AN-12B plane to fly. He didn't know that the planes engines were busted. As he flew it his engines died (duh) and ended up crash landing it the desert. He survived at least.. (The AN-12B's last photo :c) They played the cvr and it was "SHOCKING" (P-pilot) CVR: P-Lets climb to 700 shall we? (engines die at 3:54 PM) P-I thought we are climbing to 700! P-(looks out window to the last moment) [Mod Edit: profanity and profanity that is disguised but still alludes to the words is not permitted] (impact with ground) (end of cvr)
1986 Great North Woods J-3 Cub Crash ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 04-SEP-1986 Time: 13:29 Aircraft type: J-3 Super Cub (Floatplane) Operator: Private Registration: N436NG Occupants: 2 / Fatalities: 2 (all) Aircraft Damage: Written Off Category: Accident Location: Great North Woods, New Hampshire, USA Summary: Loss of engine power due to Water in Fuel & Pilot Error Phase: En route Nature: Private Investigating agency: BTSB ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By-standards who witnessed the crash reported seeing the aircraft flying around the area of Marsh Estate before leveling off, The aircraft then proceeding to make "coughing" noises, the engine then beginning to stop and start. after which the pilot transmitted over the radio... "Pan Pan Pan, 436NG' We're getting low on our fuel, looking to divert" Soon after they transmitted, the engine starved of fuel, diving for the ground due to low airspeed, crashing into a bog less than 20 meters away from Marsh Estate, The footage from the Estate's CCTV system was later recovered. Both occupants were killed instantly. The wreckage burst into flames after coming to a stop. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marsh Estate CCTV Footage: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cause of the accident was ultimately put down to three reasons... 1: Water being found in the fuel tanks, presumably flooded the engine, starving it for fuel. 2: In-proper maintenance being carried out on the engine and aircraft. 3: Pilot Error, Not informing Air Traffic Control of the engine issues, Not looking for a place to set the aircraft down in the case of emergency, instead focusing on finding an Airfield to divert to.
United airlines 93 Date: (unknown for some reason) Summary: Reports say that they got hijacked and pulled the nose down into the ground. Site: In a desert for some reason.. Total fatalities: 235 Total injuries: (no injuries because all people died) Total Survivors: 0 -------------------------------------------------- Images: None taken at the time CVR:
Aeroflot Flight 6732Aeroflot Flight 6732 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Southern Russia to Ukraine. On September 19, 1959, flight 6732 was being operated using a 6 years old Antonov An-12B, registration CCCP-14939, when it crashed into a road and trees in the Russian Road Region while en-route. The aircraft was destroyed and all 26 occupants were instantly killed (6 crew members, 20 passengers) (The aircraft involved in the accident seen in 1957) Date : 19 / September / 1959 Site : Russian Road Region, Russia Summary : Uncontrolled Descent for Undetermined reasons Aircraft Type : Antonov An-12B Operator : Aeroflot Registration : CCCP-14939 Crew : 6 Passengers : 20 Survivors : 0 Fatalities : 26 (all) Damage : Destroyed Phase : En-route Nature : International Scheduled Passenger Flight Departure Airport : Vnukovo International Airport, Moscow, Russia Destination Airport : Boryspil International Airport, Kiev, Ukraine - Flight and Occupants : - Flight 6732 was mostly operated using a brand new Tupolev Tu-104, but the lack of passengers that day forced the airliner to use another aircraft for the flight, CCCP-14939 was one of the few civilian upgraded Antonov An-12B operated by Aeroflot, so it was prepared for the flight, it toke off from Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport at around 8 PM heading to Kiev's Boryspil International Airport, with 26 people on board. The crew members that day consisted of 2 pilots, 1 flight engineer and 3 flight attendants, both pilots logged more than 7000 hours, 1500 of them were on the An-12, the flight engineer however had 5000 hours. The aircraft was carrying 20 passengers, mostly business men who wanted to travel for job related reasons. - One hour after departure, the aircraft was cleared to fly above the Russian Road Region space, the pilots started talking to the ATC a few moments later, the following ATC transcript was released by the investigation team: - Pilot: Good morning ATC, this is Aeroflot... 6732, we are asking for clearance. - ATC: Aeroflot 67...32, you are cleared to fly. - Pilot: 67, thanks sir. A few minutes passed without incident until... - Co-pilot: We are going down! We are going down, this is 6732 ! - ATC: Aeroflot 6...732, acknowledged sir, what's your problem? - Pilot: Uncontrolled Descent 6732... *Crash Occurs* ATC calls emergency services. Flight 6732 plunged into the region's ground, the pilot managed to avoid some hills and a forest, but the aircraft could not make it completely, it crashed into a road and some trees located in an area a few miles away from the nearest Emergency Station. Help arrived after 6 minutes, but it was instantly discovered that the crash was unsurvivable. (Accident scene) - Investigation : The Air Civilian Investigative team sent 20 investigators to determine why flight 6732 crashed, the final report was released 2 years after the crash in 1961. - Cause : "The commander's loss of control of the aircraft while flying at cruising altitude, which resulted in nose-dive descent and impact with terrain shortly after. The reason for this is unknown and could not be determined because examination of the wreckage did not show any faults with the aircraft, all 3 cockpit crew were experienced and they were not drunk or suffering from any injures at the time of the descent."
Nevada Aviation Airways Flight 9518Nevada Aviation Airways Flight 9518 was a scheduled cargo flight from the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport to the Green Valley International Airport. On November 6, 1965, the flight was operated using an Antonov An-12B, registration N5003A, when it crashed shortly after take-off from the So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport following the separation of the number 4 engine, all 6 crew members were fatally injured. (Flight 9518 last seconds before impacting terrain, the number 4 engine is not working) Date : 6 / November / 1965 Site : The So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, Nevada, USA Summary : Engine separation during take-off, Loss of control Aircraft Type : Antonov An-12B Operator : Nevada Aviation Airways Registration : N5003 Crew : 6 Survivors : 0 Fatalities : 6 (all) Damage : Destroyed Phase : Take-off Nature : Scheduled Cargo Flight Departure Airport : So Cal Nevada Interstate Airport, Nevada, USA Destination Airport : Green Valley International Airport, Arizona, USA - Accident : Six crew members boarded an Antonov An-12B to prepare for flight 9518, the crew consisted of 2 pilots, 1 navigator, 1 flight engineer and 2 cargo masters, the aircraft toke-off from the Nevada Interstate Airport at 6 AM. During the take-off roll, the captain lost direct control with the aircraft due to strong wings, the Antonov veered to the right side of the runway and went down a ditch before starting to climb, the number 4 engine separated because of the impact forces, the crew started a steep climb, the airport workers thought the aircraft would continue the flight, but they were surprised by N5003 nose-diving into the ground. Flight 9518 crashed into terrain by the end of runway, all 4 cockpit crew members were killed instantly, both cargo masters survived, but later died due to the injures sustained. - Cause : The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause of the accident as the following : The Captain's loss of direct control of the aircraft during the take-off roll due to strong winds, which resulted in the separation of the number 4 engine and the subsequent stall and impact with terrain shortly after take-off. --- Post updated --- Yes
- Desert Air Cargo Flight 73: Flight 73 was a scheduled Cargo Flight from the Ghost Desert to Utah, on November 4th, 1957, a cargo version of the B-25 Mitchell Bomber was used when it crashed a few seconds after take-off, no one was killed, but the aircraft was destroyed. Date : 4 / November / 1957 Site : Ghost Desert, USA Summary : Pilot Error Aircraft Type : North American B-25 Mitchell Operator : Desert Air Cargo Registration : N694 Crew : 4 Survivors : 4 (all) Injures (non-fatal) : 4 (3 minor, one serious) Phase : Initial Climb Nature : Scheduled Cargo Flight Departure Airport : Ghost Desert, USA Destination Airport : Utah, USA Flight Number : 73 Narrative : The aircraft's tail hit a ridge during initial climb when the crew got distracted by the flight engineer, the bomber impacted terrain a few seconds later, breaking into 2 parts and ending up inverted. No one from the 4 crew suffered fatal injures, but the aircraft was destroyed. - Cause : The pilots failure to maintain clearance from terrain during initial climb due to distraction, which resulted in an impact with a ridge and terrain. A Contributing factor was that the sun lights were directly facing the flight crew eyesight.
