1953 — July 12, Transocean Air Flight 512 Crash, Pacific Ocean, Wake Island to HI`–all 58

–58 Airdisaster.com. Accident Database. “Accident Synopsis 07121953.”
–58 CAB AIR. Transocean Air Lines – 300 Miles East of Wake Island, July 12, 1953.
–58 Gero. Aviation Disasters: The World’s Major Civil Airliner Crashes Since 1950 (2nd Ed.), 1996, 19.
–58 Schmitt, Robert C. Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii. 2-2-2009, p. 76.

Narrative Information

AirDisaster.com: “Crashed into the Pacific Ocean while on a flight from Wake Island to Honolulu. The cause was never discovered.” (Airdisaster.com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 07121953.)

Civil Aeronautics Board: “A Transocean Air Lines aircraft, a Douglas DC-6A, N 90806, crashed in the Pacific Ocean approximately 300 nautical miles east of Wake Island at about 0841 1 on July 12, 1953. All 58 occupants including eight crew members were killed and the aircraft was not recovered.

“Transocean Air Lines’ Flight 512 departed Guam. M. I., at 0004 on July 12, 1953, for Oakland, California, with planned intermediate stops at Wake Island and Honolulu…. Forty-nine passengers were on board including one infant. The flight to Wake Island was accomplished without incident in five hours and 35 minutes.

“One passenger boarded the aircraft at Wake Island and since none were discharged at this point, there was a total of 50 passengers on board for the Wake Island-Honolulu segment of the flight…. Takeoff from Wake Island was at 0658, July 12, 1953…. At 0829, one hour and 31 minutes after departing Wake Island, the flight made a scheduled position report as 19 degree 48 north latitude, 171 degree 48 east longitude, and cruising at 15,000 feet between cloud layers. This was the last known radio contact with the flight.

“Since the flight did not report over its next scheduled reporting point, an alert was declared by Wake Island ARTC (Air Route Traffic Control) at 1001. An aircraft flying from Honolulu to Wake Island reported at 1212 that a green flare had been seen. This aircraft’s position was 19 degree 23N and 172 degree 05E at the time the flare was sighted. The U. S. Coast Guard immediately dispatched several aircraft and a surface vessel to search the area. A Preliminary Accident Notice was filed by Wake Island ARTC at 1643, July 12, 1953….

“At approximately 0608, July 13, 1953, the USNS BARRETT reported sighting an empty inflated life raft, identified as belonging to N 90806, and a considerable amount of floating debris. These objects were sighted at 19 degree 49 north latitude and 172 degree 25 east longitude. Additional surface vessels and aircraft were immediately ordered to this location and a concentrated search of this area was begun. At 2044 the same day, the USNS BARRETT reported that at 19 degree 55 N and 172 degree 18E it sighted bodies floating in the water and more wreckage. As a result of the search fourteen bodies were recovered together with miscellaneous floating articles. The latter consisted of five life rafts (the total number of rafts carried by the aircraft), life vests, broken seats, pieces of plywood, foam rubber matting, clothing and luggage, etc. Only a small portion of the floating debris was salvaged.

“Eleven other bodies were seen but due to the high seas, waves eight feet or higher, and the shark infested water, they could not be recovered. No live persons were sighted. As the search had covered a wide area without finding any survivors and believing it impossible for anyone to have survived, the search was ended at approximately 0000, July 15, 1953….

“It is believed that N 90806 crashed approximately 12 minutes after its last position report (19 degree 48 N and 171 degree 48E) and about 45 miles east of this position. The daily drift is estimated to be approximately 25 miles westerly. The ocean at this point is about two miles deep. No primary structure of the aircraft was recovered; therefore, it was not possible to determine if a structural or mechanical failure of the aircraft occurred in flight. An examination of the recovered bodies and wreckage definitely indicates that the aircraft crashed with a high impact force. On the recovered material there was no evidence of fire in flight.

“Inspection of the five life rafts recovered revealed that the one found inflated had become inflated because of impact forces. The other four rafts were damaged and not inflated when found. None of the six life jackets recovered had been used; all were in working order.

“The aircraft had received routine servicing on both the west and eastbound flights. There was no record of any mechanical troubles having been reported by the crew on either of these flights. Interviews with ground personnel at Guam and Wake and an examination of company records revealed nothing which would indicate that the aircraft was unairworthy when it departed Wake Island. All CAA communication facilities were operating normally.

“The possibility of sabotage was considered. An investigation which included a security check of every passenger was made by the Board’s investigator with the cooperation of the local and Federal authorities at Guam. No evidence of sabotage was found….

“Subsequent to the accident and public hearing, the Board received a statement from the captain of a westbound Pan American World Airways flight which was flying at an altitude of about 8,500 feet and approximately 30 miles north of the course of the eastbound Transocean flight. This statement indicated that an extensive thunderstorm area accompanied by heavy turbulence was encountered….

“Since no primary structure of the aircraft was recovered, it was not possible to determine if a mechanical or structural failure occurred. However, if such a failure did occur, it must have happened suddenly without prior warning to the crew. The fact that the aircraft struck the water with a high impact force indicates that the crew lost control of the aircraft prior to impact….

“From an analysis of the weather conditions it appears that the flight probably encountered light to moderate turbulence during the climb to cruising altitude. For the first hour the flight should have been in the clear after which it was reported to have been between cloud layers. Relatively smooth air should have existed unless the flight encountered one of the local thunderstorms which appear to have been located along the flight course. However, there is insufficient information to determine definitely whether the more extensive thunderstorms reported north of the course extended far enough southward to have been intercepted by the subject aircraft. If the flight did penetrate an extensive thunderstorm area or one of the isolated thunderstorms, moderate to heavy turbulence would have been encountered….

“The Board is unable to determine the probable cause of this accident from the available evidence.” (CAB AIR. Transocean Air Lines – 300 Miles East of Wake Island, July 12, 1953.)

Sources

Airdisaster.com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 07121953. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=07121953&reg=N90806&airline=Transocean+Airlines

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Transocean Air Lines – 300 Miles East of Wake Island, July 12, 1953 (File No. 1-0052). Wash.,, DC: CAB, March 12, 1954, 7 p. At: http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?file&fn=8&name=*S%3A%5CDOT_56GB%5Cairplane%20accidents%5Cwebsearch%5C071253.pdf

Gero, David. Aviation Disasters: The World’s Major Civil Airliner Crashes Since 1950 (Second Edition). London: Patrick Stephens Limited, 1996.

Schmitt, Robert C. Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii. 2-2-2009, 86 pages. Accessed 9-20-2012 at: Catastrophic Mortality in Hawaii – eVols – University of Hawaii. Accessed at: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fevols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu%2Fbitstream%2Fhandle%2F10524%2F150%2FJL03074.pdf%3Fsequence%3D2&ei=UPSvVK2bLoO4yQTO74L4DA&usg=AFQjCNHER9A57xAr6d0m9mJcnsc4F2Z8Gg&bvm=bv.83339334,d.aWw