1948 — Apr 15, Pan Am 1-10 hits rock wall on Shannon AP approach, Ireland –19US of 30

lornajarrettblanchard April 15, 1948

–30 AP. “Iowan Among 30 Killed in Airplane Crash…” Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 4-15-1948, p1.

–30 Aviation Safety Network. Pan Am World Airways approach crash Shannon AP, 4-15-1948.

–30 Civil Aeronautics Board. AIR. Pan American Air…Shannon, Eire – April 14, 1948 1948, p1.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948 (Pan AM 1-10):

“Date: Thursday 15 April 1948

“Time: 02:34

“Type: Lockheed L-049-51-26 Constellation

“Operator: Pan American World Airways (Pan Am)

“Registration: NC88858

“MSN: 2058

….

“Crew: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10

“Passengers: Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 21

“Total: Fatalities: 30 ? Occupants: 31

….

“Location: 0.7 km (O.4 mls) NE of Shannon Airport…Ireland

“Phase: Approach (APR)

….

“Flight number: 1-10

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Pan American Airways:

“The Accident

“A Pan American Airways’ Lockheed Constellation, aircraft NC-88858, Flight 1-10, en route from London, to Shannon, Eire, crashed near the Shannon Airport at 0234, April 15, 1948. Twenty passengers, including one infant, and 10 crew members were fatally injured. One passenger escaped with minor injuries. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact and fire.

“History of the Flight

“Pan American’s Flight 1-10, originating in San Francisco, California, April 10, 1948, was scheduled to fly around the world to New York, New York. In accordance with company practice the flight changed to a different aircraft, NC-8885, at the Pan American Airways’ base in Calcutta, India. The flight took off from Calcutta, April 13, 1948, and continued without incident via Damascus, Syria, and Istanbul, Turkey, to Brussels, Belgium. During a night landing approach at Brussels the fluorescent lighting on the left or pilot side of the cockpit went out. Since the only other lighting immediately available was a chart light which was focused on the automatic direction finder indicator, the flight instruments could not be read, and the remainder of the landing approach was accomplished without visual reference to the flight instruments.

“An examination was made of the fluorescent lights after the landing. They appeared to operate normally, so the flight departed from Brussels, continuing without difficulty until on the final landing approach into London. When the power was reduced the same pilot’s fluorescent lights again went out. This time the chart light was focused on the airspeed indicator. The approach was continued, and the landing was accomplished without incident.

“A faulty rheostat switch was found to be the cause of the fluorescent light failure, but since a spare switch could not be located, it was not changed at London. An entry describing the defect was placed in the aircraft’s Form C, the airplane flight log, and the captain and the flight engineer of the new crew were informed by the company’s maintenance supervisor of the condition. Though no actual maintenance was accomplished, the lights again appeared to be operating normally, so the captain, F. C. Jakel, decided to take-off, departing from London at 0035, April 15, 1948, for Shannon. At this time available weather forecasts indicated that at the estimated time of the flight’s arrival at Shannon the ceiling there would be 700 feet with a higher cloud layer at 1,000 feet, and visibility 4 miles.

“At 0159, April 15, 1948, the flight reported being at an altitude of 4,500 feet, contact, over the Limerick Junction fan marker, located 25 statute miles southeast from the Shannon Airport, and requested permission to make a practice approach to the field with the use of the instrument landing system. Shannon Tower cleared the flight for this approach. The tower advised that 3 hours previously the instrument landing system equipment on the airport had been reported faulty, but that it had since been serviced and was operating normally according to its monitoring board, though not flight-checked.

“At 0210, the flight reported that it was proceeding to the outer marker, 5.2 statute miles northeast of the Shannon Airport, and also made a report, routine for Pan American flights, ‘mechanical condition okay.’ In response Shannon Tower advised the flight that the weather over the field was ‘fog patches, 3 miles visibility, cloud base 400 feet, sky 6/10 covered, wind from 325 degrees at 4 miles per hour.’ The flight was instructed to land on runway 23, the runway for which the instrument landing system was projected. It was also requested to report when making the 180 degree procedure turn for the in-bound instrument approach to the field, and when over the outer marker. The requested position reports were not received by the tower, but at 0220 the flight did report a ‘missed approach,’[1] and advised that it was going around for a second approach. At this time the flight was observed through a break in the clouds by the Shannon Tower, which was the first time that the aircraft had been seen in the vicinity of the Shannon Airport. The aircraft was reported as 500 feet above the ground, over, and in line with runway 23. Power was heard being increased, and the aircraft was observed turning left.

“On the second approach, 1t 0227, the flight reported making its 180 degree procedure turn and was cleared for landing by the tower….The flight reported approaching the outer marker at 0231 at which time the tower advised that another flight which had just taken off had reported a ceiling of 500 feet when northwest of the field. Flight 1-10 acknowledged this information, which was the last communication received. The aircraft was not observed at any time during the second approach until after it struck the ground.

“The aircraft struck the ground 2,380 feet northeast of the approach end of runway 23, and directly in line with that runway. Flames followed immediately after impact, and consumed a great portion of the wreckage.

“The sole survivor, a representative of the Lockheed Aircraft Service, Inc., seated in the cabin at a location slightly behind the trailing edge of the right wing, stated that on the first approach all engines seemed to be operating normally, and no unusual maneuvering of the aircraft was experienced. He stated that he did not observe the runway lights and other field lighting until the aircraft was directly over the field. The altitude of the aircraft appeared too high to him for the landing, and he heard power being applied to the engines for the ‘pull up.’

“According to this passenger, the engines seemed to be operating normally also during the second approach. The ‘fasten seat belt – no smoking’ sign was on. He heard the flaps extend, and observed that the flight attitude was normal. He stated that the first contact with the ground felt as though the airplane had made a hard landing on the runway. Immediately following, however, severe jolts were felt, and flames swept through the cabin from the forward part of the fuselage. He then realized that the airplane had crashed. He had been thrown forward in his seat but was saved from injury by his safety belt. When the aircraft stopped, he noticed that though filled with flames the cabin remained substantially undamaged, and that all passengers were in their seats, but made no sound or movement. He said that he did not believe himself physically or mentally capable of opening any of the emergency exits, so he crawled toward the rear of the cabin, and dropped through a large tear in the fuselage to the ground.

“Investigation

“The aircraft first struck a stone fence, which collapsed the nose and left main landing gear, and tore the right main landing gear from its mounting. All four engines were also torn from the aircraft during the course of the crash, and came to rest slightly forward of the main wreckage which was 1,780 feet northeast of the end of runway 23. The empennage, broken into three sections, was scattered around the fuselage and wings….

“Runway 23 at Shannon Airport, for which the instrument landing system was projected, is 7,000 feet long and 220 feet wide. Though the Bartow lights on the runway were on at the time of the accident, the installation of Bartow approach lights to the runway had not been completed and were not operating. Terrain northeast of runway 23 consists of low rocky hills, covered with brush, trees, and stone fences. Elevation at the point of impact was 12 feet above runway 23….

“Discussion

“In view of the surviving passenger’s testimony, it appears highly improbable that any mechanical difficulty, other than the possible failure of the pilot’s fluorescent lights, occurred in the operation of the aircraft prior to the time of impact….

“The instrument landing system was found to be operating normally when flight checked….

“The only explanation of this accident that appears reasonable, considering all known circumstances, is that the aircraft was flown too low in the approach for landing. It is apparent that the airplane would not have struck the ground short of the runway had the flight been able to establish clear visual reference to the field, or had the flight not descended below the minimum approach altitude of 415 in the execution of its second instrument approach. Accordingly, it must be concluded that the airplane was flown below the minimum approach altitude when no clear visual reference to the field existed….

“Had the aircraft been flown ‘on instruments’ below the minimum approach altitude, and had the pilot’s fluorescent lights then failed, the captain would have been in the highly critical situation of being close to the ground without any means of flight orientation. On the other hand, had the fluorescent lights failed prior to the time that the flight reached its minimum approach altitude, there should have been sufficient time and altitude to allow the captain and co-pilot to accommodate themselves to the emergency….

“Probable Cause

“The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the continuation of an instrument approach to an altitude insufficient to clear the terrain.

“A contributing factor may have been the failure of the pilot’s instrument fluorescent light.”

Newspaper

April 15, AP: “Shannon Airport, Eire – (AP) – The ‘Empress of the Skies,’ a Pan-American World Airways Constellation, crashed coming in for a landing here Thursday and 30 persons, including 19 Americans, died in the blazing wreckage. Among the dead was Miss Bernadine Marie Feller, the stewardess, who was born in Victor, Ia., in 1924. She was a graduate of the University of Iowa and joined Pan-American in 1946.

“”Marc Worst, 38, of Burbank, Calif., was the sole survivor. He said the force of the crash threw him out through the baggage compartment. His wife, waiting at the airport to meet him, witnessed the tragedy. Worst is manager of Lockheed Aviation corporation’s base at Shannon. Lockheed builds the Constellations, four-engined craft costing about $1,000,000 each.

“There was no immediate explanation concerning the cause of the crash. Basil Warnock, American overseas airlines stationmaster at Shannon, said weather observers reported three-mile visibility at the time of the crash – 2:34 a.m. GMT…Other sources said the ceiling was about 400 feet.

“Worst told reporters: ‘We had come around once and we were making our second approach when the crash occurred. Up to this everything appeared to be normal. I was slung out through the baggage compartment but I was only slightly injured on the right hand.’

“The crash occurred as the big plane came in for a second try at Shannon’s main air strip. Witnesses said it apparently hit an obstruction, skidded along the ground for a ways and then burst into flames. The wreckage burned more than three hours….” (Associated Press. “Iowan Among 30 Killed in Airplane Crash in Ireland.” The Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 4-15-1948, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Iowan Among 30 Killed in Airplane Crash in Ireland.” The Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque, IA. 4-15-1948, p. 1. Accessed 9-30-2023 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/dubuque-telegraph-herald-apr-15-1948-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948. Pan American World Airways approach crash Shannon Airport, Ireland, 15 April 1948. Accessed 9-30-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19480415-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Pan American Airways, Inc., – Shannon, Eire, – April 14, 1948 (SA-169; File No. 1-0034). Washington DC: CAB, June 24, 1948. Accessed 9-30-2023 at:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiRw4Kno9OBAxXwGFkFHS9PBjgQFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Frosap.ntl.bts.gov%2Fview%2Fdot%2F33338%2Fdot_33338_DS1.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1tMdNKhQ-TcmpgcM-ccfKl&opi=89978449

[1] CAB footnote 2: “This phrase is used in all cases when the pilot wishes to advise the tower that the aircraft will not land but will circle for a second landing approach.”

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