1959– July 1, Continental Can Co. corporate plane crash (weather?), near Marion, OH–10

–10 AP. “Ten Killed in Ohio Plane Crash.” The Newark Advocate, OH. 7-2-1959, p. 1.
–10 CAB. AAR. Continental Can Company, Inc., B-26C…Near Marion, Ohio, July 1, 1959.

Narrative Information

U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board: “Synopsis — A Martin B-26C, N 1502, owned and operated by the Continental Can Company, Inc., crashed near Marion, Ohio, July 1, 1959, about 17:52. All occupants, company pilots John R. Dunham and Donald Martin and eight company executives, were killed. The purpose of this flight was to transport the executives from Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois, to Baltimore, Maryland. Departure from Midway was at 16:45.

“When the flight was near Marion, Ohio, and shortly after it had traversed an area of pronounced thunderstorm activity, it dived violently and nearly vertically to the ground. Destruction was of such extent that it could not be determined if a structural failure occurred in flight and consequently the probable cause of this accident could not be established.”

“This and other seemingly similar air disasters have led the Board to initiate a series of conferences with other government agencies and with industry to better both the currency and accuracy of flash advisories (weather) and to impress their importance on the flying public. These conferences are now in the exploratory stage and are aimed at the development of new procedures designed to assure the reception of severe weather bulletins by those flights which could come within influence of the severe weather.” (U.S. CAB. Continental Can Company, Inc., B-26C…Near Marion, Ohio, July 1, 1959.)

Newspaper

July 2, AP: “Marion, Ohio (AP) – Search crews fanned out through a nearby wheat field early today, looking for the remaining seven victims of an airliner crash that left little doubt all 10 aboard perished. The plane, owned by the Continental Can co., carried eight top company executives and a crew of two. It hurtled out of an overcast sky late Wednesday and crashed such tremendous impact that bits of wreckage were showered over a 300-yard area. The plane literally dug the graves for most of them. Only parts of three bodies were found. The others evidently were buried under the earth….

“The plane crashed shortly before 6 p.m. on the farm of H.F. Smith, six miles east of this north central Ohio city. Smith was in his barn when he heard the aircraft approaching from the north. He said he thought it was going to hit the barn, but it passed over and crunched into the wheat field 100 yards away.

“It was raining lightly at the time, a midafternoon thunderstorm having blown itself out. The pilot had reported by radio to Marion Municipal Airport a short while before that he was flying over Findlay, in northwest Ohio. He said he was trying to skirt a thunderstorm north of Marion, and that he would report again when he reached Mansfield, 74 miles to the southeast….” (Associated Press. “Ten Killed in Ohio Plane Crash.” The Newark Advocate, OH. 7-2-1959, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Ten Killed in Ohio Plane Crash.” The Newark Advocate, OH. 7-2-1959, p. 1. Accessed 12-12-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/newark-advocate-jul-02-1959-p-1/

Civil Aeronautics Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Continental Can Company, Inc., B-26C, N 1502, Near Marion, Ohio, July 1, 1959. Washington, DC: CAB, October 14, 1960, 7 pages. Accessed 12-12-2022 at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/33618