1949 Strato-Freight Curtiss C-46A crash
San Juan-Isla Grande Airport, Atlantic Ocean | |
| Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Aircraft type | Curtiss Wright C-46D |
| Operator | Strato-Freight, Inc. |
| Registration | NC92857 |
| Flight origin | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Destination | Miami, Florida, US |
| Passengers | 75 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 53 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Survivors | 28 |
18°28′08″N 66°12′14″W / 18.469°N 66.204°W On 7 June 1949, a Strato-Freight
Crash
On 4 June 1949 (three days prior to the accident), the Strato Freight C-46 arrived in San Juan from Newark, New Jersey. Regular maintenance included a new flap follow-up cable, along with a check of both engines. Due to misfiring of the right engine, 13 new spark plugs were also installed.[1][2]
On 7 June, the aircraft was in service for a flight to Miami. The plane taxied to the
Investigation
Spark plugs
Since the right engine had backfired during the maintenance check in San Juan, 13 new spark plugs (AC-LS-87) had been installed. The AC-LS-87 spark plug accounted for 30 of the 36 required for the engine to run. This type of spark plug was not approved for use in the Curtiss C-46A by the engine manufacturer or the
Overweight
Strato-Freight computed the total
Passenger safety
Strato-Freight NC92857, with a manifest of 75 passengers, was configured with 65 passenger seats. Five passengers were infants carried in the arms of passengers, and 14 were between the age of 2 and 12. At least five passengers other than infants were sharing a seat with another passenger.[2]
Probable cause
The investigation concluded "the loss of power of the right engine before the aircraft attained the optimum single engine climb speed, together with the overloaded condition of the aircraft, resulted in it losing altitude and settling into the sea."[7]
Corrective actions
Strato-Freight's operating license was initially suspended,
References
- ^ Aviation Safety Network
- ^ a b Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau 1950, p. 1.
- ^ a b Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau 1950, p. 2.
- ^ a b "Plane Crashes' Heavy Toll". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). 1 December 1939. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau 1950.
- ^ Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau 1950, p. 6.
- ^ Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau 1950, p. 4.
- ^ The Free Lance-Star 1949.
- ^ Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau 1950, p. 3.
- ^ Air line grounded in crash killing 53 1949.
Bibliography
- Civil Aeronautics Board Safety Bureau (9 February 1950). Strato-Freight, Inc. San Juan, Puerto Rico, June 7, 1949 (Report). Civil Aeronautics Board. (PDF)
- "Federal agency suspends airline. Strato Freight operated faulty equipment; Crash kills 53". The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA). 14 July 1949 – via Google News.
- "Air line grounded in crash killing 53". The New York Times. 15 July 1949.