[15] He had 10,008 hours of flying experience, including 2,808 in Boeing 707 aircraft. Driving north on Route 213, Don Hash, then 25, was returning from a police call in Chesapeake City when he saw lightning in the shape of a wishbone, followed seconds later by the blast of a bright orange cloud and a falling airplane wing. 2 and 3 engines and pods. [5] Of the 140 witnesses interviewed, 99 reported seeing an aircraft or a flaming object in the sky. [1]:2 After 67 passengers disembarked in Baltimore,[3] the aircraft departed at 8:24pm with its remaining 73 passengers for the final leg to Philadelphia International Airport. Metal splatters on the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer were identified by spectrographic analysis as being formed from two different aluminum alloys. The board said, "It is felt that the current state of the art does not permit an extension of test results to unqualified conclusions of all aspects of natural lightning effects. The lightning protection requirements of the Federal Aviation Agency were satisfied. Comments containing links to outside A Pan American World Airways, Inc., Boeing 707-121, N709PA, Flight 214, crashed at 2059 e.s.t., December 8, 1963, near Elkton, Maryland. We'd love to hear eyewitness Pan Am Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled flight from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia International Airport, with a scheduled stopover at Baltimore 's Friendship Airport. The detailed examination of surfaces, joints, rivets, screws, fittings, and fuel quality probes for physical evidence of ignition-producing sparks where ignitable fuel/air mixtures may normally be present disclosed no identifiable evidence of electrical arcing. Chris Knuth, son to the pilot, has found solace in digging through the details of the crash. Local residents became witnesses, reporting they saw lightning strike the plane and send an orange fireball to the ground. There was one trip when the plane suddenly dropped, knocking a flight attendant unconscious after she hit the ceiling. Consequently, there is a direct correlation in time and location between the lightning discharge and start of events which culminated in the accident. You have permission to edit this article. The tape shows that the aircraft stayed at 5,000 feet for approximately 15 seconds after the beginning of the unusual excursions and then descended rapidly to ground level with little change in heading. Fuel released into the trailing edge could be ignited and the cavities in the wing trailing edge would act as flame holders making continued burning likely. Investigators revealed that rough turbulence was unlikely to have caused the crash because the crews of other aircraft that had been circling in the area reported that the air was relatively smooth at the time. Four rivet heads and small areas of metal adjacent to the rivets were burned off the top surface near the trailing edge of the wing tip. The most easterly piece of wreckage found along this path was approximately 17,400 feet from the crater. At this point, he had worked 14 hours at the crash site. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 707-321B powered by Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B engines. The complete left wing tip, with portions of the left outer aileron and spar webs still attached, was found approximately 1.8 miles east-northeast of the main impact area. Here we go. A few seconds later: Clipper 214 is going down in flames., 8:59 p.m.: The aircraft crashes outside of Elkton. By the same reasoning, in view of the known facts of this accident, there is no logical explanation for ignition of the flammable vapors other than some effect stemming directly from the lightning strike. Immediately thereafter, the aircraft was observed to be on fire. These flaps were extended 11/2 to 21/2 degrees. At the time and place of the accident, a thunderstorm was present and lightning was observed and scattered thunderstorms were forecast for the area. Use the 'Report' link on The fiery blast in the stormy Maryland sky caused the plane to break up in flight. Memorial Day 1947, Eastern Airlines Flight 605 fell from the sky with 53 people on board, landing in a wooded area off Principio Road outside Port Deposit, according to records at the Historical Society. The Historical Society keeps a brown file folder on Flight 214 filled with article clippings, death certificates and official documents relating the crash. Air carrier aircraft operated into and out of Philadelphia immediately before and after the accident. The higher readings were obtained where bondings had been broken. [1]:5 Portions of the plane's right wing and fuselage, right main landing gear, horizontal and vertical tail surfaces, and two of the engines were found within 360 feet (110m) of the crater. Mt. Mikes Blog About the Professional Practice of Public History. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 registered as N709PA, was en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia on December 8, 1963, when it crashed near Elkton, Maryland after being hit by lightning, killing all 81 on board. There was molten aluminum alloy splattered on the forward upper surface of the leading edge of the stabilizer which was determined to have been deposited in flight. The resultant fuel load was a mixture of Type A and Type B distributed as follows. There was the airplane stewardess who changed her flight plans at the last minute. This disaster remains the deadliest in . Flight Brothers FT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhGp5kpoMvFMMg3KGPENZAPan Am 707 Photo: https://www.flickr.com/people/23344035@N03 (clipperarctic)This . In a communitys history, there are lots of things that add to the heritage of that place. On that night, Dec. 8, 1963, Flight 214, a Pan American Airways Boeing 707, was returning to the U.S. from from San Juan, Puerto Rico. JP-4 advocates countered that the fuel was as safe, or safer than, kerosene, the other fuel used in jets at the time. Just when the county thought it couldnt get any worse, Dec. 8 arrived to deliver the largest aviation disaster in Marylands history, said Mike Dixon, of the Historical Society of Cecil County. Simulation of lightning strikes to the extent of the testing facility capability did not produce any recorded evidence of sparking within the tank. The strange story of Pan Am Flight 914 is frequently shared by UFO blogs and . This opening encompassed the surge tank end of the vent passages from the fuel tanks. To clarify the subject of lightning, a U. S. Weather Bureau witness was called to testify at the hearing and various technical reports were reviewed. The center tank[8] bottom skin was separated in three pieces. The recovered wing and tail components were laid out in their respective positions for study of fire damage and the left wing tip and outboard sections were examined for evidence of lightning damage. At first, he thought the glow was from a distant barn fire. On December 8, 1963, the Boeing 707-121 serving the flight crashed near Elkton, Maryland, while flying from Baltimore to Philadelphia, after being hit by lightning. Other phenomena, of which less is known because of generation and measuring difficulties, that are considered potential ignition sources are plasma, shock waves and sparking due to induced voltages from extremely high current rise rates that occur. Knuth usually piloted international flights around the globe, meaning he was away for weeks at a time. [1]:14[5] Witnesses of the crash described hearing the explosion and seeing the plane in flames as it descended. The plane is expected in Philadelphia now at 9:10 p.m. 8:50 p.m.: The crew radios that they are ready to start to approach, but they are advised to continue to hold. Eli, thanks for sharing this information about your family. Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 registered as N709PA, was en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia on December 8, 1963, when it crashed near Elkton, Maryland after being hit by lightning, killing all 81 on board. "[27], The crash of Pan Am Flight 214 called attention to previously unknown risks to aircraft from lightning strikes. In two small wreckage concentrations separate from the two previously mentioned paths, there were ten pieces, consisting of the Nos. At 7:35 p.m. EST, Flight 214 made an intermediate stop at Baltimore's . Here in Elkton, a number of those firefighters and police officers who met with families have passed away since then, but at least there was an opportunity for the two groups to meet and share experiences, emotions, and feelings. The weather service provided the crew at Baltimore was not complete, however, all the weather data available indicated that the cold front would be past Philadelphia and the weather would be improving upon their arrival. Seconds later, the first officer of National Airlines Flight 16, holding 1,000 feet (300m) higher in the same holding pattern, radioed, "Clipper 214 is going down in flames. [14] Additional charge cells in the cloud may then successively discharge through this main ionized channel as a single flickering flash which may last as long as one second. The flight was vectored for a visual approach to runway . A memorial for the victims of Pan American Airways Flight 214, which crashed in Elkton on Dec. 8, 1963. Skidding at high speed,. The ailerons and spoilers on both sides, except the outer half of the left outboard aileron, exhibited evidence of in-flight fire. Residents recalled their yards lighting up and houses shaking. The recovery process took as many hearses and removal vehicles as possible, recalled Don Hicks, whose family owns Hicks Home for Funerals in Elkton. Be Proactive. A large portion of the left wing separated in flight and the aircraft crashed in flames approximately ten nautical miles southwest of the New Castle, Delaware VOR. Although the circumstances and facts of the accident were applied in the planning of the research program, its scope and intent was to provide information that could be applied industry-wide and thus was not aimed at any specific aircraft. The high frequency (HF) radio antenna had separated from the vertical tail section and exhibited numerous tiny pock marks which were dull in appearance. The flight crew was physically qualified for flight according to FAA and Pan American records. It would later be released that the crash happened when lightning ignited a reserve fuel tank, resulting in the left outer wing exploding and loss of control. The weather that Sunday night was an odd storm rain, sleet, thunder and lightning more appropriate for a sticky summer night. [21], Within days, investigators reported that the crash had apparently been caused by an explosion that had blown off one of the wing tips. Metallographic examination of several areas of lightning damage showed characteristic deposits of porous fused metal on the damaged surfaces and a distinct boundary between the affected and unaffected metal. This briefing included a discussion of SIGMET No. Another was due to a bomb, and another due to a failed landing attempt. The wreckage distribution supported by the fire damage pattern, leads to the conclusions that the initial explosion was in the left reserve tank and that no fire-damaged part separated from the aircraft prior to the explosion. When his son was born, the last addition to the three Knuth girls, he decided to take shorter trips. Flying to Puerto Rico meant several days at home before several days away. The accident is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll.". It was shortly before dawn on Sept. 5, 1986, when approximately 400 passengers aboard Pan Am Flight 73 were taken hostage by four Palestinian terrorists. For more difficult cases, Fisher and his team reconstructed faces as best possible using mannequins. Published Jul 1, 2019. This portion of the recording is not entirely clear, but this represents the best interpretation possible due to the quality of the tape. Limits of a fuel/air mixture that will allow combustion to occur. Some years, the anniversary of his fathers death falls during Hanukkah. It is logically concluded that the main tanks which contained fuel and are adjacent to the reserve and center tanks were structurally disrupted when some or all of the aforementioned tanks exploded; fuel was spilled and ignited. The tape showed an elapsed time of approximately 32 minutes and 50 seconds from lift-off at Baltimore until impact with the ground. The CAB team was assisted by investigators from the Boeing Company, Pan Am, the Air Line Pilots Association, Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). Relatives came to the armory, but officials said it would not be possible to visually identify any of the victims. Retired Elkton Police Chief Thomas McIntire met with a film documentary crew and Chris Knuth, the son of Pan Am 214s pilot, in 1994 to recall his memories of that night. [1]:1 Despite one of the most intensive research efforts in its history, the agency could not identify the exact mechanics of the fuel ignition, concluding that lightning had ignited vapors through an as-yet unknown pathway. Its different when you dont share it with a mother and a father, but I love Christmas. The aircraft involved in the crash, N709PA, before being delivered to Pan Am, In-flight explosion and break up caused by. [25] The FAA said that it would conduct research to determine the relative safety of the two types of jet fuel used in the United States, both of which were present in the fuel tanks of Flight 214. Edwin, were you able to make the remembrance program held in Elkton as the community and family members came together for a weekend to mark the passage of 50 years since this tragedy shattered so many lives? The crew elected to remain at 5,000 feet (1,500m) in a holding pattern with five other aircraft. Dedicated in 2011,it was placedwhere the plane hit ahillside, taking 53 lives on Memorial Day 1947. On that cold rainy December evening,as lighting periodically illuminated the cornfield, acounty firefighter also died in the line of duty. 1 reserve tank; the left fuel vent surge tank, the HF antenna probe cover, a piece of top skin from the right side of the center fuel tank with float valve attached, and the float valve from the right wing reserve tank. With the jet-setting lifestyle, farewells arent said lightly. Chris has visited Elkton several times to meet with witnesses and visit the crash site, now marked with a commemorative stone. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17U.S.C. First responders and police from throughout Cecil County had responded to the call, along with men from the Bainbridge Naval Training Center. It would be two more days until Dr. Russell S. Fisher, state medical examiner, identified all the bodies. There is one other memorial to plane crash victims in the county. The aircraft was destroyed by explosion, impact and fire. Of the 140 ground witnesses interviewed, 99 reported sighting an aircraft or flaming object in the sky. Although physical evidence of the means by which ignition occurred was not found, the likelihood of ignition by lightning is not ruled out. A complete wing section of essentially the same configuration as B707-121 was tested for internal parking in the reserve tank. [1]:1,3[5] The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all of the occupants were killed. The weather in the holding pattern area as described by the first officer of Flight 16 was cloudy, with comparatively smooth air, and the ground lights were occasionally visible through breaks in the clouds. Pan Am provided the family with passes to travel. [16][17], The first officer was John R. Dale, 48, also of Long Island. The complete passenger list of Pan Am 103 This should be the (un-)complete list of unfornunate passengers aboard Pan Am 103. However, on December 4, 1991 Pan Am stopped flying due to the big financial problems. All 81 occupants of the plane were killed. As a branch of the stepped leader is approaching the ground, the intensified electric field causes an upward moving streamer to form at a ground projection and advance toward the stepped leader. Thus, the actual mechanics of ignition of the left reserve tank contents was not determined. The controller asked whether the pilots wanted to proceed directly to the airport or to enter a holding pattern to wait for the storm to pass. Knuth, later called a hero pilot, was being too modest. Application of known lightning protection information as well as specific testing was applied during the design stages. The aileron and rudder trim were neutral and the stabilizer was trimmed for 0.8 degrees noseup. By the time many arrived to the scene, there were pockets of fire in the field. Elkton's Fire Chief Edward Slaughter, center, captured in a photo the Monday after the crash. By morning, gruesome details were visible in Elkton. The interior of the surge tank was heavily sooted on all sides and the sealant was burned inside. This is a list of accidents and incidents involving American airline Pan Am. 2 piloti pazudui bez vsts, Antonov An-12 cargo plane with Russian crew crash-landed in South Sudan, local media report, W katastrofie lotu S-Air 9607 pod Miskiem zgino 5 osb. There was no evidence of any powerplant or system malfunction that could have caused the inflight explosion. I still like Christmas very much, he said. [5], A Maryland state trooper who had been patrolling on Route 213 radioed an alert as he drove toward the crash site, east of Elkton near the state line. The Knuth family at the family reunion in Iowa in August of 1963. The Committee was informed currently on the investigative results and, conversely, persons responsible for the investigation were advised as information evolved from the research activities to the mutual benefit of all responsible parties. There was evidence that fuel entered the vent system, collected in the surge tanks, and returned to the proper fuel tanks. [15] He had flown for Pan Am for 22 years and had accumulated 17,049 hours of flying experience, including 2,890 in the Boeing 707. The bottom surge tank skin was curled downward at a fracture line along the tank and closure rib. The first, in November 1962, happened when a Los Angeles-bound Varig Airlines 707 struck a mountain. Create a password that only you will remember. After takeoff, Baltimore Departure Control provided radar vectors to Victor 44 where air traffic "control" was transferred to New Castle Approach Control. Your email address will not be published. A micro second is one millionth of a second. [1]:1 All the passengers were residents of the United States. Radar service was terminated eight miles west of the Rock Hall Intersection at 2031. The aberrations appearing in the traces of N709PA's readout at 32:15 after takeoff indicates the time of the explosion in the left wing. December 8 2018 Pan Am Flight 214 was a scheduled flight of Pan American World Airways from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Im glad I read the comments as Edwin has enlightened me to one more of them. [10] They patrolled the area with flares and set up searchlights to define the accident scene and to ensure that the debris and human remains were undisturbed by curious spectators. Threats of harming another Similar surveys were conducted on a USAF B-707-100 and a Pan American B-707-139 with 3,454 and 10,540 hours flight time, respectively.

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