1937 — March 25, TWA Inflight Icing Crash near Clifton (7M ~Pittsburgh), PA –all 13
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 11-15-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–13 Aviation Safety Network. “ASN Wikibase Occurrence #34065.” Douglas DC-2-112.
–13 Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. “Child Describes Fall of…Transport Plane.” 3-30-1937, 1.
–13 Indiana Evening Gazette, PA. “Clifton Plane Fall Caused by Ice – Jury.” 4-16-1937, p. 2.
–13 Oakland Tribune, CA. “Data Gathered for Air Probe.” 3-27-1937, p. 3.
–13 Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. “13 Persons Killed…Plane Crashes near Pittsburgh.” 3-26-1937.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network. Database, 1937. TWA approach crash near Clifton, PA 3-25-1937:
“ Date: Thursday 25 March 1937
“Time: 18:40
“Type: Douglas DC-2-112
“Owner/operator: Transcontinental & Western Air – TWA
“Registration: NC13730
“MSN: 1256
“Year of Manufacture: 1934
“Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
“Other fatalities: 0
….
“Location: near Clifton, PA – USA
“Phase: Approach
“Nature: Passenger – Scheduled
“Departure airport: Camden Central Airport, NJ
“Destination airport: Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Airport, PA
“Narrative:
“Crashed nose first in a small gully near Clifton, 7 miles (11 km) from Pittsburgh due to icing.
“The full routing of this flight was: Newark, NJ – Camden, NJ (Philadelphia) – Pittsburgh, PA – Chicago, IL.
“It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was a heavy accumulation of ice on the airplane wing tips and ailerons which rendered the airplane uncontrollable.”
Newspapers
March 26: “Bulletin. Pittsburgh, March 26 (INS) – Ice formations on the leading edge of the ailerons were blamed for the crash of a TWA plane near here last night in which 13 persons were killed in a statement made public this afternoon by the TWA.
“By Sydney H. Elges, Staff Correspondent. Pittsburgh, March 26 (INS) – Another horrible tragedy of the skies today added 13 mutilated victims, four of them women, to the nation’s death toll from air disasters.
“In shattered bits of wreckage of a huge New York to Chicago twin motored TWA Douglas transport plane, federal, state and county investigators sought the cause for the disaster that sent them to sudden death on a sloping hillside a mere five miles from the city-county airport where the craft was maneuvering to land.
“Ten passengers, three of them women, the pilot, co-pilot and the trim little stewardess, the entire human cargo, died in the forward part of the ship into which they were hurled by the impact. So terrific was the speed at which the ship struck the ground nose first, that the motors were completely buried and the cabin was crushed like an egg shell.
“Another pilot flying overhead saw the plane plummet to destruction, spewing its victims into the field before the horrified eyes of a man and wife driving only a few feet away.
“The crash occurred at 6:35 p.m. last night, as the veteran Capt. Larry Bohnett, of Jersey City, the pilot, and his co-pilot, Howard E. Warwick of East Orange, were maneuvering to lnd. Several preliminary theories, including motor trouble and excessive ice on the wings were advanced today in an attempt to explain the plane’s sudden plunge to the earth as it spiraled down from a height estimated at 2,000 feet….” (Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. “13 Persons Killed…Plane Crashes near Pittsburgh.” 3-26-1937, p. 1.)
March 27: “Pittsburgh, March 27. – (AP) – Department of Commerce officials massed grim evidence today for a formal inquiry in the crash of the Transcontinental and Western airlines’ luxury liner that killed 13 persons….
“Officials of the airlines and Dr. John J. McLean, director of the Allegheny County airport where the plane was headed, announced they believed n ‘unusual’ formation of ice on the wings had caused the crash. They added that the impact had failed to dislodge the ice, which gave the first clue to the cause of the plunge.
“L. G. Fritz, Eastern region superintendent of the airline said the company would immediately attempt to develop equipment to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy. He added: ‘Never before in tests or in scheduled flying has ice formed on the ailerons to an extent that interfered with normal flight. However, the unusual ice formation causing this accident indicates that protection must be extended to include ailerons’.” (Oakland Tribune, CA. “Data Gathered for Air Probe.” 3-27-1937, p. 3.)
March 30: “By H. R. Ekins (United Press Staff Correspondent). Flyers’ Club, Allegheny County Airport, Pittsburgh, March 30 – (UP) – Transcontinental and Western Air’s explanation that ice formations of ‘unanticipated severity’ caused last Thursday’s crash of a TWA Douglas plane, with a loss of 13 lives, became today an official part of the record as the bureau of air commerce opened its hearing into the disaster.
“Paul E. Richter, TWA vice-president in charge of operations, was the first witness called by Bryan M. Jacobs, bureau of air commerce inspector and chairman of the investigating board. ‘Local icing conditions of unanticipated severity caused the disaster,’ Richter said. ‘Never had we seen so much ice accumulated on the leading edges of the ailerons. We hope to learn and profit from this investigation so that no similar accident can occur in the future.’ After paying high tribute to Lawrence Bohnet and Howard Warwick, pilot and co-pilot of the ill-fated airplane, Richter placed the facilities of his organization at the disposal of the board of inquiry.
“The board, convened by Jacobs in an unused basement taproom at the Flyers’ club, included R. I. Hazen and C. W. Lossow, department of commerce inspectors from Newark; C. B. Reed and R. W. Delaney of the Kansas City office of the department, and Jack Zimmerman, TWA pilot representing the pilots’ association. Officially sitting with the board also were C. G. Andrus, of the U.S. weather bureau, Cleveland, and E. R. Mehrling, of the airways traffic control office, Pittsburgh. Col. Harold E. Hartney, adviser to the U.S. senate air safety committee, attended as an observer.
“A nine-year-old girl, Ottillia Jaspert, an eye-witness to the crash of the transport, said she saw the plane trailing a line of white smoke to earth….Ottillia…said she met her father when he came home between 6:40 and 6:45 p.m. As he drove into the garage, she saw the plane dropping, nose first, and called to her father.
“William B. Jaspert, the father, testified that he saw Bohnet’s ship coming down in a half-spiral while another plane flew above it. ‘To me, it was absolutely out of control.’ Jaspert, an attorney, said, ‘The only sound came from the other plane. Seeing that ship coming down with no sound coming from it gave me an empty feeling.’ Jaspert drove immediately to the wreckage, where he aided in removing the bodies. He said he heard a sound ‘like a dynamo’ in the front of the ship.
“Jacobs questioned Jaspert minutely about weather conditions. The attorney said there was hazy atmosphere, but that he could ‘readily see a mile or possibly a mile and a half.’ It was nearly dusk when the ship crashed, he added.” (Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. “Child Describes Fall of Ill-Fated Transport Plane.” 3-30-1937, p. 1.)
April 16: “Pittsburgh, April 16. – (AP) – The verdict of a coroner’s jury today supported the Transcontinental and Western Airline’s theory that ice on the wings caused the crash of a giant plane in which 13 persons died. The jury impaneled by Coroner W. J. McGregor, decided the crash was unavoidable and recommended that information on flying conditions and weather be exchanged by all airports.
“During the inquest, McGregor criticized the Department of Commerce for its failure to reveal immediately its findings in air crashes.” (Indiana Evening Gazette, PA. “Clifton Plane Fall Caused by Ice – Jury.” 4-16-1937, p. 2.)
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Database, 1937. Transcontinental & Western Air approach crash near Clifton, PA 3-25-1937. Accessed 11-15-2024 at: https://asn.flightsafety.org/asndb/342312
Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. “Child Describes Fall of Ill-Fated Transport Plane.” 3-30-1937, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=36032420
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. “Clifton Plane Fall Caused by Ice – Jury.” 4-16-1937, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=113804797
Oakland Tribune, CA. “Data Gathered for Air Probe [TWA Crash near Clifton, PA].” 3-27-1937, p. 3. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=47797850
Tyrone Daily Herald, PA. “13 Persons Killed as Plane Crashes near Pittsburgh.” 3-26-1937, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=103044634