1940 – Dec 4, United Airlines DC-3 airport approach engine stall/crash, Chicago, IL — 10
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 10-10-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–10 Aviation Safety Network, Database, 1940. United Airlines, 4 Dec 1940, Chicago, IL.
–10 Civil Aeronautics Board. Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board of the investigation…
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Database, 1940. United Airlines, 4 Dec 1940, Chicago, IL:
“Date: Wednesday 4 December 1940
“Time: 17:40
“Type: Douglas DC-3A-197C
“Owner/Operator: United Airlines
“Registration: NC25678
“MSN: 2175
“Year of manufacture: 1940
….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 16
….
“Location: 0.5km SW of Chicago Municipal Airport, IL (MDW) – USA
“Phase: Approach
“Nature: Passenger – Scheduled
“Departure airport: New York-La Guardia Airport, NY
“Destination airport: Chicago Municipal Airport, IL
….
“Narrative:
“A Douglas DC-3A passenger plane, NC25678, was destroyed in an accident near Chicago Municipal Airport, IL (MDW), U.S.A. All three crew members and seven of the 13 passengers were killed.
“The airplane operated on a flight from New York-La Guardia Airport, NY (LGA) to Chicago Municipal Airport, IL (MDW) with en route stops at Philadelphia, PA, Allentown, PA, Akron, OH and Cleveland, OH.
“The airplane descended through the overcast near Chicago Municipal Airport and the pilot reported they would have to circle the airport to clear his windshield of ice, which impaired his vision. After clearing the windshield the pilot decided to land on the northwest runway. At an altitude of approximately 160 feet, the airplane stalled, fell off to the left, and crashed while in an incipient spin. The accumulation of ice on the leading edges of the wing had raised the stall speed.”
Civil Aeronautics Board. Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board of the investigation…:
“Aircraft NC 25678, while operating between New York and Chicago as Trip 21 of United Airlines Transport Corporation, crashed within two blocks of the Chicago Municipal Airport about 5:48 p.m. (CST) on the afternoon of December 4, 1940. As a result of the accident the aircraft was almost completely destroyed and the operating crew of three and seven of the thirteen passengers were fatally injured…. (p.1)
Summary and Analysis of Evidence
“….Flight Personnel
“The flight crew of United 21 was Captain Philip Cramer Scott, First Officer George Summer Young, and Flight Stewardess Florence Little…. (p.3)
History of the Flight
“The flight plan prepared for Trip 21 by Captain Scott, First Officer Young, and Gentry W. Stuart, United Dispatcher at LaGuardia Field, provided for a flight from LaGuardia Field to Chicago, Illinois, with stops at Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. Captain Scott estimated his total flying time from New York to Chicago as 5 hours and 38 minutes, plus 30 minutes for landings and take-offs at intermediate stops….
“Trip 21 was off the ground at LaGuardia Field at 9:05 a.m. …The record shows that Captain Scott arrived at Cleveland with a notation in his flight log that the right motor was cutting out on the left switch. Captain Scott reported to the ground crew at Cleveland that this trouble had occurred on LaGuardia Field but had cleared up prior to take-off….Inasmuch as an additional ship was available, the Acting Crew Chief in Charge of Maintenance at Cleveland decided to hold NC 25678 for a more complete inspection of the right engine. Accordingly, the passengers and cargo were transferred to the substitute aircraft and the trip departed from the ramp at 2:13 p.m.
“Captain Scott, however, did not take off but returned to the hangar and reported that the right engine of the substitute airplane was also cutting out on one magneto. Upon examination by the ground crew and also by Mr. Donald W. Tyler, Superintendent of Mechanical Operations of the Eastern Division of United, who was on the field at the time, it was determined that in order to remedy the condition it would be necessary to replace some of the wiring, which would take at least an hour. Since the right engine of the original airplane had not cut out during the trip from LaGuardia Field to Cleveland, it was decided by Captain Scott, Mr. Tyler, and the ground crew to use the original plane, if, after inspection, no trouble was indicated. Accordingly, the ground crew thoroughly checked the engines of this ship and Mr. Tyler personally checked over the right engine and they were unable to find anything wrong with the engine. After running it up to take-off power and testing all of the switches they ‘found the operation of the engine perfectly normal and smooth, and no signs of misfiring.’… (pp. 8-10)
“The passengers and cargo were then again transferred to the original ship for take-off from Cleveland….At 2:50 p.m., the United dispatcher at Chicago cleared the flight from Cleveland to Chicago, and the plane departed from that point at 2:59 p.m. …. (p.11)
“At 5:22, United 21 reported over the Chicago range. At 5:24 Airway Traffic Control advised that United 21 was in No. 3 position to land and gave United’s Chicago dispatcher the following message for Captain Scott.
And here’s something for him now. Tell him that the ship before him picked up an inch and a half of ice down at four and three thousand feet. Tell him I think personally that he would do better to hold 6,000 until he is No. 1 approach….he can come down now as far as 4,000 feet if he wishes but I would prefer to have him stay at 6 account of the ice. (p13)
“At 5:26, Captain Scott asked and obtained approval to descent to 5,000 feet and was informed that he was No. 2 to approach. At 5:30 p.m., Trip 21 was cleared by the Chicago Airway Traffic Control to the Chicago airport control tower with instructions to report at each 1,000 foot level during descent. Accordingly, Trip 21 started to descent from 5,000 feet at 5:33 p.m. and at 5:41 reported contact at 1,500 feet.
“The report of Captain Scott at 5:41…was the last radio contact between the plane and the company radio station….According to the airport control tower log, the first contact with United 21 was made at 5:42 and the last contact before the crash at 5:47. The transcription of the record indicates that the clerk in the airport control tower dialed the Airway Traffic Control to report the crash at 5:49, placing the actual time of the crash at between 5:47 and 5:48…. (p. 14)
“Inspection of the airplane for ice accumulation showed that ice remained on the nose of the de-icer boot on the right wing about 3/8 of an inch thick, forming a cap extending backward on each side for a distance of 2 inches from the leading edge…. (p. 38)
“It seems clear from the record that Captain Scott had accumulated on his windshield a substantial amount of ice because, after breaking out of the overcast, he told the airport control tower operator that it would be necessary for him to circle the airport in order to get the ice off his windshield. However, there is no evidence from which we can determine as to whether he was successful in doing so….
“….after having made his [the pilot] descent and broken out under the overcast, it appears that he exercised poor judgement in choosing the northwest runway for his landing rather than the long east-west runway. Incoming aircraft were given the option of landing either on the northwest or west runway. Of the several pilots who landed flights just prior to and after the accident, Captain Scott was the only one to choose the northwest runway. It is not clear why this choice was made…. [p. 63)
“From the testimony of eye-witnesses, it may be concluded that the final approach of United 21 to the northwest runway was made normally until the left wing dropped and was followed by the crash. The maneuvers of the airplane as described by these witnesses also lead to the conclusion that for some reason the airplane stalled, whipped off to the left, and was in an incipient spin when it struck…. (p. 64)
Probable Cause
“Upon the basis of the foregoing findings of fact and upon all the evidence available at this time, we find that athe probable cause of the accident to aircraft NC 25678 (United 21) on December 4, 1940, was the failure of the pilot to exercise that degree of cautin and skill required to avert a stall while approaching for a landing on the short northwest runway. A substantial contributing factor to the accident was the error in judgement of Captain Scott in choosing that short runway for his landing.” (p. 75)
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Database, 1940. United Airlines, 4 Dec 1940, Chicago, IL. Accessed 10-10-2024 at: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/341825
Civil Aeronautics Board. Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board of the investigation of an accident involving civil aircraft of the United States NC 25678 which occurred near Chicago, Illinois, on December 4, 1940. Accessed 10-10-2024 at: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Accident_Investigation_Report/efRGAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Report+of+the+Civil+Aeronautics+Board+of+the+investigation+of+an+accident+involving+civil+aircraft+of+the+United+States+NC+25678+which+occurred+near+Chicago,+Illinois,+on+December+4,+1940.&pg=PP1&printsec=frontcover