1949 — Nov 29, American Airlines 157 Landing Crash and Fire, Dallas-Love Field, TX–  28

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 7, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–28  Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. American Airlines, 29 Nov 1949.

–28  CAB. Accident Investigation Report. American Airlines, Inc. Dallas Tex Nov 29, 1949.

–28  Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AJFM&P, 3/1, Mar 1982, p.53.

–28  Nat. Fire Protection Assoc. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly, 43/3, Jan 1950, p. 167.

Narrative Information

Civil Aeronautics Board, Investigation of Aircraft Accident, Preliminary Statement of Facts:  

“The Accident

“American Airlines, Flight l57, of November 28, 1949, a DC-6, N 90728, crashed and burned following an attempted landing at Love Field, Dallas. Tex., on November 29, 1949, about 0549. Of 46 occupants, 28 received fatal injuries. Survivors included 15 passengers, the captain, the first officer and the flight engineer, both of whom were seriously injured.

“History of the Flight

“Flight 157 originated at LaGuardia Field, New York, for Mexico City, Mexico, with stops scheduled at Washington, D C., and Dallas, Tex. Departure from LaGuardia was at 2147, November 28 Between LaGuardia and Washington the flight was reported to be uneventful with all of the aircraft’s components functioning normally….

“….The crew included Captain Laurens Claude, First Officer Robert E. Lewis, and Flight Engineer William Stephan Forbes….

“….In the vicinity of Nashville, Number 1 engine started backfiring at intervals of about 20 seconds. Various corrective measures were applied but they were not successful. The captain and the flight engineer decided to feather Number 1 engine. This feathering occurred at a point about 25 miles southwest of Nashville and was subsequently reported to the company from the vicinity of Altheimer, Arkansas, a routine position reporting point about 125 miles beyond Memphis, with a request for an equipment change at Dallas….

“Flight 157 contacted Love Field Control at a point over Garland, Texas, about 15 miles northeast of Dallas. It was given permission to enter the traffic pattern with a right-hand turn and to land on Runway 36….The right-hand turn into the final approach, as executed, placed the aircraft in misalignment with the runway. The result was that at the conclusion of that turn the aircraft was to the left of the runway and an ‘S’ turn was made to effect proper alignment. During this ‘S’ the airspeed dropped sharply and the aircraft drifted to the left and settled. Additional power was applied to engines Numbers 2, 3 and 4, which was made necessary by the loss of airspeed.

“During the latter part of the approach to Runway 36 the flight engineer saw a warning light flicker and the fuel flow meter of No. 4 engine reading zero. He immediately notified the pilots that No 4 engine was cutting out, and the captain told him to put the booster pump to it. The flight engineer did so. Full throttle was then quickly applied to engines Nos. 2, 3 and 4. The captain stated that No. 4 engine came in with a ‘terrific’ surge of power (overspeeding), the left wing dropped and the aircraft started to turn to the left. He then retarded throttles Nos. 3 and 4 in an attempt to raise the left wing with No 2 engine. When the wing was partially up he opened throttles Nos. 3 and 4 and called for gear and flaps up. The first officer raised the gear but did not raise the flaps. He then observed that No. 4 tachometer indicated only 1200 rpm, noted that the fuel pressure to that engine was zero, and immediately feathered No. 4 propeller. The flight engineer turned on the cross-feed fuel valves. At this time the first officer radioed the tower to the effect that a crash was imminent….

“The aircraft continued in a generally northwest direction, across the airport on a heading about 40 degrees to the left of Runway 36, in a tail low attitude. Its air speed continued to fall, its attitude became increasingly nose-high. And a stall developed just prior to striking a hangar and other buildings on the northwest side of the airport. Fire followed at once Emergency procedures were put into effect resulting in fire, medical and police aid arriving within a few minutes.” (CAB. Accident Investigation Report. American Airlines, Inc. Dallas Tex Nov 29, 1949.)

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1949, Accident Description: Probable Cause: “The faulty execution of an engine-out approach.”  (ASN, American Airlines, 29 Nov 1949.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1949. Accident Description. American Airlines Flight 157, 29 Nov 1949.  Accessed 2-9-2009 at:

http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19491129-0

Civil Aeronautics Board, Investigation of Aircraft Accident. American Airlines: Dallas, Texas: 1949-11-20. Washington, DC: CAB, 12-28-1949. Accessed 9-7-2023 at:  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/33382

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.

National Fire Protection Association. “Large Loss Fires of 1949.” Quarterly, Vol. 43, No. 3, January 1950, pp. 151-170.

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