1946 — Dec 28, TWA 6963, final approach crash at night, altimeter error, Shannon AP, Ireland–12
Compiled 11-3-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–13? CAB. AIR. Transcontinental & Western Air – Shannon, Eire – December 28, 1946.*
–9 Passengers (Amendment located between pp. 2 and 3.
–4 Crew (p. 1)
–12 AP. “Those Who Died in TWA Crash.” The Corpus Christi Times, TX. 12-28-1946, p. 1.
–9 Passengers –10 US addresses
–3 Crew — 2 French addresses
–12 Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AJFM&P, 3/1, Mar 1982, p53.
–12 UP. “Transatlantic Plane Crashes; 12 Killed.” The Corpus Christi Times, TX. 12-28-1946, p. 1.
— 9 Aviation Safety Network. TWA Flight 6963 approach crash Shannon Airport, 12-28-1946.**
*Blanchard note on Civil Aeronautics Board death toll:
The number 13 is ours. In the original Civil Aeronautics Board report it was stated : “Five of the 14 passengers and 4 of the crew of 9 were fatally injured…” That comes to nine total deaths. In a Supplement report the CAB notes that it had “inadvertently indicated that five of the fourteen passengers aboard the Transcontinental & Western Air ‘Constellation’ were fatally injured at Shannon, Eire, December 28, 1946. This accident resulted in the death of nine passengers.” If it were still the case that 4 of the crew had been killed, then the death toll would be 13. We suspect, however, that the press coverage at the time, which named three crew fatalities and nine passenger fatalities was correct and that the CAB “inadvertently” noted four crew deaths when there were actually three.
** We suspect that the writer of the Aviation Safety Network page on this mishap, drew upon the original CAB AIR which noted 5 passenger deaths and was unaware of the later supplemental amending the passenger death toll at 9.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1947 [TWA 6963, 12-28-1946]
Date: Saturday 28 December 1946
“Time: 02:09 UTC
“Type: Lockheed L-049 Constellation
“Operator: Transcontinental & Western Air – TWA
“Registration: NC86505
“MSN: 2026
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 9
“Passengers: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 14
“Total: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 23
…
“Location: 1.4 km (0.9 mls( WNW of Shannon Airport…Ireland
“Phase: Approach (APR)
“Nature: International Scheduled Passenger
“Departure airport: Paris-Orly Airport…France
“Destination airport: Shannon Airport…Ireland
“Flight number: 6963
“Narrative:
“TWA’s Constellation “Cairo Skychief” departed Paris-Orly at 23:16 on a flight to New York via Shannon and Gander. The en route portion of the flight was uneventful and at 02:00 Shannon control tower cleared the aircraft for approach to runway 14. At 02:06 the flight reported over the range station at 1,200 feet at which time Shannon Tower advised it that Shannon was reporting 10/10 cloud cover at 400 feet, 4/10 at 250 feet, visibility 1 mile, wind 120 degrees, 5 knots. While turning to the left for final approach to runway 14, the aircraft passed behind a low hill which blocked the airport lights from the pilot’s vision. At the end of a left-hand turn to final. During this turn the aircraft lost at least 150 feet of altitude and the left wing tip struck the ground. The plane crashed and caught fire.
“Probable Cause:
“An error in altimeter indication, the primary reason for which was the reversal of the primary and alternative static source lines which led the pilot to conduct his approach to the airport at a dangerously low altitude. A contributing factor was the negligence of maintenance personnel in certifying to the satisfactory functioning of the static system although the tests required to determine such a condition were not accomplished. A further contributing factor was the restriction of vision from the cockpit resulting from fogging of the unheated windshield panels.” [This was the Probable Cause finding in the Civil Aeronautics Board report.]
Eckert: “1946…TWA Constellation…Shannon, Ireland…12 [deaths.”
Newspaper
Dec 28, UP: “Shannon, Erie, Dec. 28, (U.P.) – The TWA Constellation, Star of Cairo, ‘in trouble’ for reasons not yet revealed, crashed and exploded on a mud island in the River Fergus, three miles from Shannon airport, in an attempted forced landing which took the lives of 12 of the 23 persons aboard today. The nature of the plane’s difficulties which developed after it left orly Field, Paris, were not immediately revealed. However, pretty Vina Kay Ferguson, hostess aboard the plane, had warned passengers to fasten their safety belts and advised them that an emergency landing would be necessary.
“Capt. Herbert Tansey, pilot of the Star of Cairo, was believed by airmen on the scene to have attempted to bring his gib four-engined plane down on the fflat fields adjoining the river. However, the attempt fell short by a scant 100 to 200 yards and the aircraft smashed into a tiny mud flat island and exploded with a roar which was felt at the airport building at Shannon, three miles distant.
“The back of the plane was broken, throwing out the passengers and crew and scattering them over a 50-yard radius.
“The fact that passengers had fastened their safety belts and braced themselves for a rough landing in response to the cool instruction of Miss Ferguson was credited with holding down the death toll though all survivors were injured.
“Flames shot more than 50 feet into the air from the ship’s blazing fuel tanks. The crash occurred about 2 a.m. as the plane came in for a routine landing from Paris.
“The plane carried 14 passengers and a crew of nine….
“Rescue crews started immediately for the scene but it was two hours later before they reached the scene after struggling through reedy marshes, mud flats and the small streams which criss-cross the boggy area….” (United Press. “Transatlantic Plane Crashes; 12 Killed.” The Corpus Christi Times, TX. 12-28-1946, p. 1.)
Dec 28, AP: “Rineanna, Eire, Dec. 38. (AP) – Trans World Airways officials announced that 12 persons – three crewmen and nine passengers – were killed when the Constellation Star of Cairo crashed and exploded near Shannon Airport early today.
“The dead passengers were listed as: [Ten had U.S. addresses.]
- Clerc, Simonne Lucienne, Paris
- Drayfus, Pierre, New York
- Koegel, Herman, New York
- Lanyon, Allan Charles, Washington
- Picard, Maurice Simon, Flushing, N.Y.
- Pugh, Clementine Jeanne, Philadelphia
- Pekelis, Alexander H., Larchmont, N.Y.
- Salabert, Francis Joseph, Paris
- Xelaznagora, Marie, New York.
“The known dead among the crew were:
- Herbert Burmeisier of Washington, D.C., radio officer.
- Walter McBaride of Alexandria, Va., flight engineer.
- Robert A Osterburg of Alexandria, Va., navigator.
(Assoc. Press. “Those Who Died in TWA Crash.” The Corpus Christi Times, TX. 12-28-1946, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Those Who Died in TWA Crash.” The Corpus Christi Times, TX. 12-28-1946, p. 1. Accessed 11-2-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/corpus-christi-times-dec-28-1946-p-1/
Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Transcontinental & Western Air – Shannon, Eire – December 28, 1946. Washington, DC: CAG File No. 8127-46, Docket No. SA-138, released 4-21-1947. Accessed 11-2-2023 at: file:///C:/Users/Wayne/Downloads/dot_33293_DS1-2.pdf
Eckert, William G. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 3, No. 1, March 1982, Table 1.
United Press. “Transatlantic Plane Crashes; 12 Killed.” The Corpus Christi Times, TX. 12-28-1946, p. 1. Accessed 11-2-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/corpus-christi-times-dec-28-1946-p-1/