Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight Nov.
| Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight Nov. | |
|---|---|
 An identical aircraft from the company |
|
| Accident summary | |
| Accident type | lightning strike |
| place | Lovettsville / Virginia , USA |
| date | August 31, 1940 |
| Fatalities | 25th |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Injured | 0 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-3-313 |
| operator | Pennsylvania Central Airlines |
| Mark | NC21789 |
| Passengers | 21st |
| crew | 4th |
| Lists of aviation accidents | |
On August 31, 1940, a Douglas DC-3 crashed on Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 19 after the machine got caught in a thunderstorm. Eyewitnesses reported that the plane was struck by lightning around 2:41 p.m. EST and then crashed into the grounds of a farm. None of the 21 passengers and four crew members survived the crash. The most prominent casualty of the Lovettsville air disaster was the Senator from Minnesota , Ernest Lundeen .
Before the start
Pennsylvania-Central Airlines' DC-3 was scheduled to take off at 1:50 p.m. EST from Hoover Airport near Washington, DC . The destination was Detroit / Michigan , a stopover was to take place in Pittsburgh / Pennsylvania . The flight captain was Lowell V. Scroggins, who had over 11,000 flight hours, including more than 600 on DC-3 aircraft. First officer and copilot was J. Paul Moore. He had the experience of over 6,000 flight hours, including over 200 on the DC-3. The other crew included a stewardess and a secretary to the District Traffic Manager , who had taken a seat in the emergency seat.
The DC-3 with the registration number NC21789 was only delivered to the Pennsylvania-Central Airlines on May 25, 1940 by the Douglas Aircraft Company . It had two piston engines, Model G-102-A by Curtiss-Wright , which drove Hamilton propellers with a diameter of almost four meters. The aircraft, with its engines and propellers, had had 565 flight hours behind it by take-off on August 31, 1940.
The plane landed in Washington at 11:00 a.m. EST from Detroit. The flight was routine without any special incidents. The machine has been refueled, cleaned and subjected to the usual visual inspections.
flight
According to the flight plan, Captain Scroggins should bring the DC-3 to an altitude of 1,800 meters after take-off and fly over Martinsburg, West Virginia and Frostburg, Maryland . Over Scottsdale, Pennsylvania , Scroggins was supposed to drop to 1,200 meters to begin the approach to Pittsburgh. The Washington launch was initially delayed at 2:05 p.m. EST. On the take-off position after starting the engines, Captain Scroggins noticed that the oil pressure gauge was showing a lower value for the right engine. Scroggins had the machine pushed back and a mechanic changed the oil filter. At 2:21 p.m. EST, the machine was finally able to start.
The United States Weather Bureau weather forecast for the Washington - Pittsburg area for the period between 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. EST was obtained by Captain Scroggins. The report predicted cloud cover over the eastern mountains. Isolated rain showers in the mountains and light thunderstorms were expected in the afternoon. Wind speeds of 30 to 50 km / h from the west were predicted.
crash
At 2:31 p.m. EST, Flight 19 broadcast a position report. The DC-3 was climbing over the Herndon, Virginia radio beacon at 1,200 meters. At 2:41 p.m. EST, the aircraft crashed approximately four kilometers west of Lovettsville and 25 kilometers northwest of the radio beacon. There were no further radio messages from the DC-3 after the position report. Eyewitnesses who lived near the crash site consistently reported seeing an aircraft flying in the area shortly before the crash. For example, a resident of Lovettsville, who lived about six kilometers east of the site of the accident, testified that she had noticed a plane flying northwest towards the Short Hills, which were surrounded by dark storm clouds. The woman saw the machine fly into the storm. Lightning strikes just in front of the machine, impairing the woman's view. Then she heard the distant thunder of the thunderstorm and a few seconds later a loud howl. The witness testified that planes often fly over the area and that this plane flew lower than usual. Other eyewitnesses also confirmed the flight into the storm and the lightning strikes.
Investigation and conclusion
Investigators from the Civil Aeronautics Board, the predecessor of the NTSB founded in 1967 , reached the crash site and discovered that the DC-3 had crashed into a field of alfalfa. The plants were about 2.50 meters high. Due to the intactness of the plants, a fall angle of 20 to 40 ° could be determined. The orientation of the aircraft corresponded to the course Washington - Pittsburgh. The plane broke apart on impact. Parts of the wreckage were found at a distance of 300 meters.
The investigators found no evidence of material defects, engine defects, outbreak of fire or sabotage. The only clues were the testimonies about the lightning strikes and the thunderstorm. The Civil Aeronautic Board therefore concluded that the DC-3 was struck by lightning and crashed.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board (p. 5) (PDF; 8.8 MB)
- ↑ Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board (p. 6) (PDF; 8.8 MB)
- ↑ Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board (p. 8) (PDF; 8.8 MB)
- ↑ Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board (p. 9) (PDF; 8.8 MB)
- ↑ Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board (pp. 10 - 17) (PDF; 8.8 MB)