1961 — Sep 1, TWA 529 loses longitudinal control/crashes, Hinsdale ~Chicago-Midway, IL–all 78

–78 AirDisaster.Com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 09011961.
–78 Aviation Safety Network. TWA Flight 529, 01 Sep 1961.
–78 CAB. AAR. TWA…Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois, September 1, 1961.
–78 Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AJFM&P, 3/1, March 1982, Table 1.
–78 Gero. Aviation Disasters…World’s Major Civil Airliner Crashes Since 1950 (2nd Ed.). 1996, p43.
–78 Haine, Edgar A. Disaster in the Air. New York: Cornwall Books, 2000, p. 169.
–78 Mansfield News Journal (OH). “Airliner Goes Down Near Chicago Suburb,” Sep 1, 1961.
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Narrative Information

ASN: On September 1, 1961 the “Star of Dublin,” Trans World Airlines Flight 529 left Chicago’s Midway Airport with 73 passengers and a crew of 5, headed for McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada. “Some five minutes later a loss of longitudinal control was experienced and the plane crashed..” (Aviation Safety Network. TWA Flight 529, 01 Sep 1961)

CAB Synopsis:

“Trans World Airlines Flight 529, a model 049 Lockheed Constellation, N 86511, crashed about nine miles west of Midway Airports, Chicago, Illinois, on September 1, 1961, at 0205 c.d.t., killing all 78 occupants.

“The flight originated at Boston, Massachusetts, destination San Francisco, California, with intermediate stops scheduled at New York, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Los Angeles, California. The flight to Chicago was routine.

“A scheduled crew change was made at Chicago and the flight departed there at 0200 c.d.t. Approximately five minutes later, during good weather, while climbing on the intended course, the aircraft experienced loss of longitudinal control and crashed. All occupants died instantly and the aircraft was completely destroyed.

“Investigation disclosed that a 5/16-inch AN-175-21 nickel steel bolt from the elevator boost mechanism was missing. There was evidence that the bolt was not in place at the time of impact. The proper positioning of this bolt is vital to the control of the aircraft and must therefore have been in place until immediately prior to the loss of control….

Investigation

“TWA Flight 529 crashed in an open field near Hinsdale, DuPage County, Illinois. The aircraft struck the ground in a slightly left-wing-low and nosedown attitude…. The aircraft disintegrated, leaving debris over an area 200 feet wide and 1,100 feet long. Five craters were made, each approximately three to four feet deep, as a result of the four engines and fuselage striking the ground…. There was no evidence of in-flight fire; however, there was considerable evidence of ground fire on portions of the wreckage which also showed severe impact damage….

Analysis

“The Board concludes from the evidence at hand that during the climbout from Midway Airport, the AN-175-21 bolt worked its way clear of the parallelogram Link. This was followed immediately by full pressure to the up-elevator side of the actuator piston. The pilot’s natural response to the resulting violent pitchup and accelerated stall prevented successful shift of the elevator boost system to the manual position….

“The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the loss of an AN-175-21 nickel steel bolt from the parallelogram linkage of the elevator boost system, resulting in loss of control of the aircraft.” (CAB, AAR, TWA…Midway Airport, Chicago, IL, September 1, 1961)

ASN: At the time this was the third worst aviation disaster in the U.S. (ASN. TWA…529, 1 Sep 1961)
Newspaper:

Sep 1: “Hinsdale, Ill. (UPI) – “A Trans World Airlines Constellation with 78 persons aboard plunged to earth like a comet today and exploded with a roar which made householders fear an atomic bomb had fallen. There were no survivors.” (Mansfield News Journal. “Airliner…”, Sep 1, 1961.)

Sources

AirDisaster.com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 09011961. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=09011961&reg=N86511&airline=Trans+World+Airlines

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Trans World Airlines Flight 529, 01 Sep 1961. Accessed 12-21-2008 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19610901-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Trans World Airlines, Inc., Lockheed Constellation, Model 049, N 86511, Midway Airport, Chicago, Illinois, September 1, 1961 (File No. 1-0011). Washington, DC: CAB, December 18, 1962. Accessed at: http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?websearch&site=dot_aircraftacc

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.

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

Haine, Edgar A. Disaster in the Air. New York: Cornwall Books, 2000, 394 pages.

Mansfield News Journal, OH. “Airliner Goes Down Near Chicago Suburb, 9-1-1961. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=25992409