1952 — Jan 22, American Airlines Flight 6780 airport approach crash, Elizabeth, NJ — 30

–30 AirDisaster.Com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 01221952.
–30 Aviation Safety Network. American Airlines Flight 6780, 22 Jan 1952.
–30 CAB. AIR. American Airlines, Inc., — Elizabeth, New Jersey, January 22, 1952.
–30 NFPA. “Elizabeth, N. J. – Incredible Coincidence!” Quarterly, V45, No. 4, Apr 1952, p. 315.
–23 Occupants of American 6780 (everyone).
— 7 Occupants of buildings on the ground.

Narrative Information

Civil Aeronautics Board Accident Investigation Report: “American Airlines Flight No. 6780, a Convair 240, N-94229, crashed in the City of Elizabeth, New Jersey, on January 22, 1952, at about 1543. All twenty passengers and three crew members were killed, impact and ensuing fire destroyed the aircraft. Considerable damage resulted to buildings and seven persons therein were fatally injured.

“Flight 6780 originated at Buffalo, New York, for Newark, New Jersey, with stops scheduled at Rochester, New York, and Syracuse, New York….The flight left the Syracuse ramp at 1351 and was off the ground at 1401….

“The aircraft crashed and burned at the approximate corner of the intersection of Williamson and South Streets in Elizabeth, New Jersey. This position is about 2,100 feet to the right (southeast) of the glide path and about 3-3/8 miles from the touch-down point on Runway No. 6. Elevation of the impact site is about 37 feet above sea level, elevation of the Newark Airport is about 18 feet above sea level. The time of impact was determined to be approximately 1544….

“…ground witnesses to the crash estimate that at the time and place of impact the ceiling was about 100-150 feet with a light drizzle, a visibility of two or three city blocks and little or no wind….

“During the approximate two-hour period from one hour before to one hour after the time of the accident, a total of 19 flights landed at, or took off from, the Newark Airport. Statements from their pilots indicate that all ground radio, navigational, and communications facilities were operating normally. These statements also indicate that the azimuth and elevation components of the instrument landing system were as published and that guidance by GCA Advisories was consistent with the direction of the localizer course and the angle of the glide path….

“There were a number of ground witnesses to the final short portion of the flight and to the crash itself. Statements were taken from 26 persons who heard or saw the aircraft just before impact. While their accounts did not agree in all respects, the consensus is that the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 100-150 feet, just below cloud, in a generally easterly direction, for a distance of about three city blocks before it struck. Further, its attitude was generally described as level both longitudinally and laterally Engine noise was variously described as “loud bangs, with a roar,” “rumbling as it passed over,” “sound of a car, when all spark plugs are not working,” “the noise stopped, the pilot speeded up motors as loud as he could” etc.

“One witness, Vincent J. O’Connell, who was standing in his yard at 325 Fay Avenue, Elizabeth, New Jersey, testified that he heard the aircraft approaching from the direction of Linden, which was southwest of his residence. Several seconds afterwards he heard an abnormally loud blast or backfire from one of the motors. The other motor seemed to be running smoothly. A few seconds after the first blast, another was heard and by that time the aircraft was close to where he was standing and seemed to veer sharply to the right. He stated that he detected this by the sound of the airplane as he could not see it due to the restricted visibility. As the aircraft was about overhead, a third blast was heard, the same as the preceding ones, and a yellowish glare was momentarily visible through the fog. One motor seemed to stop. The other which sounded normal increased in intensity and whined. It seemed as if a tremendous amount of power was being applied. A few seconds later a terrific explosion was heard in the distance and the witness assumed that the plane had crashed or hit something. The witness fixed the time as 1543 by his pocket watch when the aircraft passed over his point of observation.

“Actual investigation of the wreckage of aircraft and buildings reveals that the aircraft struck while about level laterally…but while in steep descent, with the nose raised appreciably. Marked localization of the wreckage further substantiated this nature of impact, i e., with considerable vertical, but relatively little horizontal, speed. There was no evidence of any fire in flight. A protracted and highly destructive ground fire eliminated a great deal of physical evidence pertaining to aircraft structure and power plants….

“Examination of the engines revealed no indication of any malfunctioning or failure of either….Nothing was found to suggest any failure of any part of the aircraft’s structure or any malfunctioning of its control system prior to impact. All major units of the electronic communications and navigation equipment aboard the aircraft were recovered. Although all were severely damaged by impact and/or fire, no evidence of internal failure was found in any of them….

“The aircraft’s path was plotted, based on GCA advisories and testimony of the operator who issued those advisories to the flight. It indicates that progress down the glide path was not unusual, and deviations were not abnormal, until all indication of the aircraft vanished from the screens. This occurred four or five seconds after the last advisory that the flight was three and one-half miles from touchdown, 900 feet to the right of course, and at the proper elevation. (Proper elevation at that point is about 900 feet.) The elevation scope can track an aircraft no lower than about 400 feet in the general accident area because of radar interference from ground objects, buildings, etc. ….

“Although it is impossible to determine accurately the exact path of the aircraft from the time it was last seen on the GCA screens until it crashed, the following reconstruction of its most probable path can be made. The accident undoubtedly had its inception just before the last screen observation, which was four or five seconds after the last advisory report. That report placed the aircraft 900 feet to the right of course, at the proper altitude (about 900 feet), arid three and one-half miles from touchdown. Four or five seconds later, when the aircraft disappeared from the GCA screen, it must have been at least 500 feet lower because it could have been tracked to 400 feet altitude. This rate of descent (500 feet in 4-5 seconds) is abnormally high, approximately 6,000 feet per minute. The cause of such extreme rate of descent can most readily be attributed to an unsymmetrical power, and consequently thrust, condition.

“Because the aircraft was last seen by ground witnesses headed in an easterly direction paralleling South Street, it must have turned approximately 40 degrees to the right from the point it was last seen on the GCA screen. This fact is supported by the testimony of O’Connell who thought from the sound of the engines that the aircraft was turning to its right. That the aircraft did turn to the right is substantiated by Mr. Michael Calabrese, the first ground witness who actually observed it directly overhead below the overcast….

We must…because of the lack of physical evidence, advance certain conjecture as to the cause of the aircraft’s rapid descent….

“A number of…witnesses observed the impact. From their observations and the analysis of the physical evidence at the scene, including the damage to buildings, it is concluded that the aircraft struck in a very steep descent and crashed through the roofs. The damage to the aircraft and extreme localization of the wreckage distribution at impact indicates that the longitudinal axis of the aircraft was at a high positive angle of attack relative to the descent path. If the aircraft was in a level attitude, during the final 1,300 feet, as the witnesses described, it appears that there was not sufficient power being generated to avoid settling into the buildings….

“All evidence points to the fact that the aircraft was airworthy on departure from Syracuse, and that the crew was fully qualified in the aircraft and over the route involved. The captain, by virtue of his experience, undoubtedly was familiar with the terrain and the navigational facilities in the Newark area. In fact, the operation of the flight can be considered normal until after its last report at 1541, when GCA was advised that its signals were loud and clear. The aircraft’s maneuvers during the first portion of the glide path traversed were described as being normal, however, the Board, as previously stated, can only conjecture as to what might have caused the sharp descent and right turn. Whatever happened during the very short period of time before impact was of such nature that it was beyond the capabilities of both pilots to effect complete recovery.

“Although the facts are inconclusive as to the probable cause of this accident, there is some evidence to indicate that carburetor icing, followed by severe surging, occurred.” (CAB. AIR. American Airlines, Inc., — Elizabeth, New Jersey, January 22, 1952.)

National Fire Protection Association: “Elizabeth Fire No. 2.

“The second accident [Dec 16 plane crash killed 56] occurred at 3:44 P.M. Jan. 22 as an American Airlines ‘Convair’ was making an instrument landing approach to Newark Airport. All 23 occupants of the aircraft and 7 on the ground were killed. The exact cause of this accident has not been officially revealed. Failure of a vital control surface might have been responsible as the change in the aircraft’s attitude was sudden, the descent sharp and the pilot had no time to radio any difficulty. Weather was unfavorable; when the accident occurred there was a 400 ft. ceiling, intermittent rain, 1½ mile visibility, and a 14 MPH wind.

“Answering a succession of box alarms, 10 pieces of Elizabeth apparatus and 160 men responded to the Convair accident site. A ‘recall signal’ brought Chief Officers to the scene and again the Port Authority dispatched its crash truck. Roselle Park Fire Department also saw action in this second accident.

“It is assumed that the Convair was…out of control when it struck three dwellings, completely demolished one, and damaged beyond repair a three-story brick building housing a store…Telephone wires surrounding the crash site along the streets were not knocked down.

No. 2 Fire and Rescue Problems

“Fire companies responding to the second accident found the remains of the aircraft and the 2½-story wood dwelling a burning fiercely. Another dwelling (a concrete block structure to the rear of the initial dwelling struck) and the three-story brick store were enveloped in smoke and flames as the result of a volume of gasoline that had penetrated the buildings following the impact. The 2½-story frame duplex dwelling at 312-314 Williamson Street was burning rapidly in the attic corner which was also struck by the aircraft.

“It again appears that all 23 occupants of the aircraft were killed outright. Six occupants of the buildings struck were killed immediately and 1 died later in a local hospital. The fire department directed its first efforts to determining whether there was anyone alive in either the aircraft or the structures. Those occupants found dead were located in 306 and 310 Williamson Street.

Fire Fighting

“Following the second crash, the task was to confine the fires to the involved structures after determining no rescues could be accomplished. These fires gained their initial rapid spread by being started with sprayed gasoline from the rupture of the aircraft fuel tanks. The direction of the wind towards exposed dwellings prompted the use of a deluge et that was put in position opposite 310 Williamson Street. Hand lines were advanced after the fire had been subdued sufficiently in these two buildings….

“All fires were practically extinguished in 90 minutes, although mopping up and digging into the debris kept fire fighters at the scene until 1:30 A.M. when it appeared that all bodies had been recovered (Two additional victims were found, however, on the following day.)” (NFPA. “Elizabeth, N. J. – Incredible Coincidence!” Quarterly of the NFPA, 45/4, Apr 1952, pp. 315-317.)

Sources

AirDisaster.com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 01221952. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=01221952&reg=N94229&airline=American+Airlines

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. American Airlines Flight 6780, 22 Jan 1952. Accessed 2-17-2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19520122-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. American Airlines, Inc., — Elizabeth, New Jersey, January 22, 1952. Washington, DC: CAB, 12 pages. Accessed at: http://dotlibrary1.specialcollection.net/scripts/ws.dll?file&fn=8&name=*P%3A%5CDOT%5Cairplane%20accidents%5Cwebsearch%5C012252A.pdf

National Fire Protection Association. “Elizabeth, N. J. – Incredible Coincidence!” Quarterly of the NFPA, Vol. 45, No. 4, Apr 1952, pp. 311-322.