crash, ~Ardmore, OK — 83

lornajarrettblanchard April 22, 1966

— 83 AirDisaster.com. Accident Database. “Accident Synopsis 04221966.”
— 83 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. American Flyers Airline, 22 Apr 1966.
— 83 CAB. AAR. American Flyers Airline…Near…Ardmore, Oklahoma, April 22, 1966. P. 5.
— 83 Kimura. World Commercial Aircraft Accidents 3rd Ed., 1946-1993, V.1. 4-11-1994, p. 3-9.
— 83 NTSB Identification: DCA66A0006…American Flyers Airlines Corp., April 22, 1966…

Narrative Information

AirDisaster.com: “The aircraft crashed into foothills during landing attempt at Ardmore Municipal Airport . Incapacitation of the captain with a heart attack during final stages of approach. The captain, who suffered from a long standing heart condition and diabetes, managed to keep his pilot license by falsifying his medical records.” (AirDisaster.Com. Accident Synopsis 04221966.)

ASN: “The aircraft operated on a Military Air Command contract Civil Air Movement Charter flight from Monterey to Columbus, GA via Ardmore. The crew missed a runway 8 ADF instrument approach, so they attempted a visual circling approach to runway 30. The aircraft struck a hill at an elevation of 963 feet (airport elevation being 762 feet msl) [killing 83 of 98 onboard]….” (ASN, Accident Description. American Flyers Airline, 22 Apr 1966.)

Civil Aeronautics Board Synopsis: “An American Flyers Airline Corporation, Lockheed Electra L-188C, N183H, operating as CAM [civil air movement] Flight 280/D, crashed 1-1/2 miles northeast of the Ardmore Municipal Airport, Ardmore, Oklahoma, at 2030 c.s.t., April 22, 1966. There were 92 revenue passengers, and one non-revenue passenger (a company employee), and five crewmembers aboard the aircraft. Of these persons, 18 revenue passengers initially survived the accident; however, three of the survivors subsequently died. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and subsequent fire.

“Flight 280/D, scheduled as a domestic Military Airlift Command contract Civil Air Movement charter flight, departed the Monterey Peninsula Airport, Monterey, California, at 1632 c.s.t., en route to Columbus, Georgia, with a scheduled refueling stop at Ardmore, Oklahoma. The crew was attempting a visual, circling approach to runway 30 at Ardmore after missing an ADF [automatic direction finder] instrument approach to runway 8, when the aircraft struck a hill at an elevation of 963 feet. The airport elevation was 762 feet m.s.l. [mean sea level] The last weather report furnished the crew was: 700 broken, 1100 overcast, visibility 3 miles, very light rain showers, fog, wind 130⁰ at 6 knots. The ceiling was ragged.

“The Board determines the probable cause of this accident was the incapacitation, due to a coronary insufficiency, of the pilot-in-command at the critical point during a visual, circling approach being conducted under instrument flight conditions.” (CAB, p. 1.)

“….Investigation….Captain Reed W. Pigman, age 59, was founder and president of American Flyers Airline Corporation….” (p. 5.)

“All of the fatalities resulted from injuries sustained during thee crash….” (p. 12.)

“Autopsies were performed on the three flight crewmembers and the causes of death were: Captain, either multiple injuries or coronary artery arteriosclerosis….In view of the findings as to the cause of death of the captain, an investigation was made into his medical history….

“The pathologist who performed the autopsy testified at the public hearing to amplify the remarks of the autopsy protocol. He testified that his examination of the captain’s heart revealed ‘severe and very vast coronary arteriosclerosis which, because of the severity, precluded cutting or sectioning at the scent’ (of the autopsy). He described arteriosclerosis of the coronary arteries as a disease process which causes narrowing of the lumens through which the blood flows, and slows and precludes the carrying of a full volume of blood which carries the oxygen to the heart. The gross impression of severe coronary artery arteriosclerosis was confirmed by microscopic examination. He stated that he believed the arteriosclerosis was of long duration and involved all of the major branches of the coronary circulation. In some cases the lumens through which the blood should flow were so small that it was necessary to use a microscope to see them.

“He described the arteries as being calcified which meant to him that the disease was of long duration, in excess of a couple of years. He described coronary insufficiency as a condition where an insufficient volume of oxygen bearing blood is supplied to the heart muscle to maintain it under various situations. This demand is increased when the heart has additional activity to perform. In his opinion, the arteriosclerosis found in the captain’s heart was sufficiently advanced to result in coronary insufficiency….

“Another pathologist, who had participated in autopsies of many aircraft accident victims, testified that there was without doubt coronary insufficiency present in the captain’s heart….In his opinion the probability of a patient with the captain’s degree of arteriosclerosis having a coronary insufficiency and sudden death was quite high….

“He compared the injuries suffered by the captain and the first officer, with particular reference to the injuries they sustained to their upper extremities. He testified that it has been his experience that the injuries to the first officer’s hands and arms were indicative of his hands being on the controls of the aircraft at the time of impact. Such injuries were not found on the captain’s hands.

“An aviation medical examiner, who was also a flight surgeon and cardiovascular specialist, testified he had reviewed the captain’s medical record obtained from his personal physician. These records revealed that the first indications of coronary artery disease were reported in December 1957. From that time until 1950 there were many visits, the records of which presented increasing evidence, from a historical standpoint, that the captain was having difficulty with his heart. From 1950 until 1963 there is no record of any complaints about the patient’s heart, but from 1963 until his last visit on April 11, 1966, there was an indication that the patient was having increasing symptoms that were related to his heart. The symptoms were primarily pain in the chest with radiation down the left arm, apprehension, and increase in heart rate. These symptoms were characterized as those that come from heart disease.

“During the periods covered by the medical records reviewed, the captain received various medications including aminophylline, nitroglycerin, and Peritrate. The nitroglycerin was to be taken for relief of pain at first but later the patient was advised to take them prophylactically to preclude the occurrence of pain. From November 1963 on, the physician prescribed a dosage of four Peritrate tablets daily. The prescription records show that this prescription was filled 26 times during this p4eriod.

“The records also revealed that from October 1962 until the time of the accident, that captain was being treated for diabetes with a prescription of ½ an Orinase tablet daily….

“During these periods of treatment the captain was taking semi-annual FAA Class I flight physicals as a part of his airline pilot transport rating license requirements. A review of the medical history portion of the application completed by the captain shows that he always denied having had either heart disease or diabetes. He also denied, in the more recent applications, having consulted a physician or being under medication.

“The witness testified that Peritrate is a drug that dilates the arterial system and it is believed that it dilates preferentially and better the coronary vessels than others. He as not aware of this drug being prescribed for anything other than cardiovascular disease.

“He testified that nitroglycerin is also a dilator of the arterial system. Preferentially it dilates the coronary arteries and is a very rapid acting medication because it is rapidly absorbed and its effect is also rapidly dissipated. Ordinarily the patient is advised to have the tablets handy at all times and to take them at the first sign of discomfort….

“He testified that when a patient suffered angina pain he would be handicapped in the performance of whatever he was doing, distracted by the discomfort, and on occasions actually incapacitated. He stated that there was a probability that a person with this type of severe coronary artery disease would suffer sudden death. Such an attack would probably include sudden unconsciousness, possibly within 7 to 12 seconds….

“The actual establishment of heart pain is one of the most important tools in…diagnosis and the patient could, by failing to reveal a history of such pain, prevent the diagnosis….” (pp. 12-17)

Analysis and Conclusions

“….The evidence points toward the probability that Captain Pigman became incapacitated prior to the last 6 seconds of flight and the aircraft went into an uncontrolled descending right bank. A pathologist who participated in the investigation and who has performed autopsies on over 2,000 air-crash victims stated that the fractured condition of the first officer’s hands and arms was of such a nature that it indicated he had control of the aircraft and had his hands on the control at the time of impact….

“It is probable that the captain entered a standard rate turn to the right in preparation for making a downwind leg for landing on runway 30. While turning through a heading of 142 degrees, the captain may have collapsed permitting the aircraft to enter a sink rate of 1,950 feet per minute.

“The first officer, who was probably looking out the right window and keeping the field in sight, may have been warned of the event by the flight engineer, or noticed the change in attitude. His immediate reaction would have been to grab the control wheel and order more power. It would take approximately 3 to 5 seconds for the first officer to effectively respond and grasp the controls. An additional 1.5 seconds would be required for the aircraft to respond and rotate through an attitude of 12 degrees. Since it would take approximately 6 seconds to descent from 1,160 feet to 963 feet, the first officer would be unable to prevent a collision with the ground under these conditions…..” (p. 21.)

“The Board is concerned by the fact that the captain, who in this instance was also the president of the air carrier, had an established medical history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, both of which are disqualifying for the issuance of a first-class medical certificate, and that he deliberately falsified his application for this certificate. We are aware that cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus could remain undetected during the course of a first-class medical examination. There have been numerous instances where a flight crewmember has become incapacitated from cardiovascular disease while at the controls of an air carrier airplane or just subsequent to flight.

“The failure of the pilot of Flight 280/D or any pilot exercising commercial privileges to disclose his total medical history by falsifying his application for a medical certificate, places in jeopardy the lives of not only those passengers aboard an aircraft but the lives of the crewmembers as well.

“The Board, in conjunction with the FAA, is exploring ways to improve the quality of medical information received from pilots, is attempting to improve the state of the art of medical diagnoses of pilots, and is exploring the possibility of removing legal restraints which prevent physicians from reporting information of importance to the maintenance of aviation safety….

“Probable Cause

“The Board determines the probable cause of this accident was the incapacitation, due to a coronary insufficiency, of the pilot-in-command at a critical point during a visual, circling approach being conducted under instrument flight conditions.” (CAB, p. 23.)

Sources

AirDisaster.com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 04221966. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=04221966&reg=N183H&airline=American+Flyers+Airline

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. American Flyers Airline, 22 Apr 1966. Accessed 3/1/2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19660422-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Aircraft Accident Report. American Flyers Airline Corporation L-188C, N183H, Near Ardmore Municipal Airport, Ardmore, Oklahoma, April 22, 1966. Washington, DC: CAB, 4-4-1967. Accessed 4-11-2020 at: https://reports.aviation-safety.net/1966/19660422-0_L188_N183H.pdf

Kimura, Chris Y. World Commercial Aircraft Accidents 3rd Edition, 1946-1993, Volume 1: Jet and Turboprop Aircrafts. Livermore, CA: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Risk Assessment and Nuclear Engineering Group. 4-11-1994.

National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Identification: DCA66A0006, 14 CFR Part 121 Nonscheduled Operation of American Flyers Airlines Corp. Event Occurred Friday, April 22, 1966 in Ardmore, OK. Aircraft: Lockheed L-188C, Registration: N183H. Accessed at: http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=70624&key=0#