His sister, Carol, keeps flying, too. Flight 605 was one of the worst fatal crashes in Maryland history, but nothing compared to Flight 214. Then, at 8:58 p.m., Flight 214 broadcasted to Philadelphia. [13], In 1959, the aircraft had been involved in an incident in which the right outboard engine was torn from the wing during a training flight in France. : 2 It operated three times a week as the counterpart to Flight 213, which flew from Philadelphia to San Juan via Baltimore earlier For more information on this blog click here. The aircraft, with 73 passengers and a crew of eight, was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) clearance. The flight recorder tape of NAL 16[10] showed no major differences between the traces of the two aircraft while they were in the holding pattern, insofar as evidence of turbulence is concerned. There was evidence of higher heat in this area and fused metal was found around the hole. The complete passenger list of Pan Am 103 This should be the (un-)complete list of unfornunate passengers aboard Pan Am 103. The aberrations appearing in the traces of N709PA's readout at 32:15 after takeoff indicates the time of the explosion in the left wing. The news of the crash complete with pilots name had been broadcast on the evening news. Flight 214 departed Baltimore at 2024 cleared IFR to the Port Herman Intersection via Victor 44 (airway), Victor 433, at 4,000 feet, to expect further clearance after Port Herman via Victor 433 to the New Castle VOR thence direct to Philadelphia. It was a moving experience hearing the stories of other family members as they came back to Elkton to meet and share their accounts. There was no evidence of fire damage on the right horizontal stabilizer. [18]:36[28], The aircraft involved in the crash, N709PA, before being delivered to Pan Am, United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, "Aircraft Accident Report: Pan American World Airways Inc Boeing 707-121, N709PA Near Elkton, Maryland December 8, 1963", "Pan Am system time table, December 1-31, 1963", "81 on Jet Killed in Flaming Crash Near Elkton, MD", "Plane Crew Witnessed, Told About Crash of Jet Airliner", "First Emergency Responder to Arrive on Scene of 1963 Plane Crash Recalls Tragic Night", "81 Killed as Phila.-Bound Jet Crashes in Storm Near Elkton", "50 years later, witnesses, families recall Flight 214 crash", "Key to Crash Mystery Found in Jet Debris", "2 in Tiny Plane Are Killed As It Rips Clipper in Flight", "Eyewitnesses Bear Out Supposition That Airliner Was Hit By Lightning", "Lessons Learned from Civil Aviation Accidents: Pan Am Flight 214 at Elkton, MarylandAccident overview", "Lessons Learned from Civil Aviation Accidents: Pan Am Flight 214 at Elkton, MarylandResulting Safety Initiatives", "Program for Investigation of Aircraft Lightning Protection Measures", Pan Am Flight 214 Accident Report Civil Aeronautics Board, A Pan American promotional film that features Clipper Tradewind (N709PA), A picture of the aircraft involved in the accident, Another photograph of the aircraft involved, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pan_Am_Flight_214&oldid=1134143929, In-flight explosion and break up caused by, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 05:42. NEW YORK -- Following is a list of victims of the crash of Pan American World Airways Flight 759 in Kenner, La., as released by the airline. I found this article wanting to learn a little more about this disaster. Special attention was given to the left wing tip and parts of the No. On that night, Dec. 8, 1963, Flight 214, a Pan American Airways Boeing 707, was returning to the U.S. from from San Juan, Puerto Rico. [1]:2 It operated three times a week as the counterpart to Flight 213, which flew from Philadelphia to San Juan via Baltimore earlier the same day. In 50 years though, Anthony points out air travel safety has increased phenomenally. There are now about 0.2 fatal accidents per million departures on commercial air carriers. Members of the Airline Pilots Association then arrived in the middle of the night to guard the house against the press. Family and Friends from Flight Pan Am 806 | Pago Pago - Facebook In addition, the metal splatter on the left horizontal stabilizer leading edge and inflight fire damage to the left elevator could occur only after loss of the left outer wing. Skidding at high speed,. [15] He had flown for Pan Am for 22 years and had accumulated 17,049 hours of flying experience, including 2,890 in the Boeing 707. Snopes previously debunked the story in 2019, the same year that a YouTube page called "Bright Side" breathed new life into the myth when it published a viral video that has been viewed more than 19.2 million times.. On December 8, 1963, Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 four-engine turbojet named Clipper Tradewind by Pan Am, took off from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico at 4:10 p.m. EST, for a flight to Philadelphia with 73 passengers and 8 crew on board. Practical means whereby these potential hazards can be eliminated, as demonstrated within the limits of the testing facility, were developed and, in the case of access plates, have already been applied to aircraft in service. Your email address will not be published. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Pan Am Flight 214 | Detailed Pedia The accident is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll.". The recovered wing and tail components were laid out in their respective positions for study of fire damage and the left wing tip and outboard sections were examined for evidence of lightning damage. This correlates with thunderstorm electrification theories that charge separation occurs about the freezing level. And in Elkton, an unusual winter thunderstorm rattled the small town with pouring rain, wind and flashes of lightning. A meteorological message designed primarily for aircraft in flight warning of weather conditions potentially hazardous to transport category and other types of aircraft. N709PA left San Juan as Pan American Flight 214 at 1610 and arrived at Baltimore at 1935. Twenty-seven saw fire preceded by lightning with a very short interval before the fire was visible. A trail of debris from the plane extended as far as 4 miles (6km) from the point of impact. The first, in November 1962, happened when a Los Angeles-bound Varig Airlines 707 struck a mountain. Accelerated studies have recently been completed into these hazards to provide technical data on their probably occurrence and control. December 8 2018 Pan Am Flight 214 was a scheduled flight of Pan American World Airways from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Baltimore, Maryland, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was just 6 years old in 1963. [6] Named the Clipper Tradewind, it was the oldest aircraft in the U.S. commercial jet fleet at the time of the crash. At 45, Knuthhad 17,049 hours total flying. 1, a schematic of the B-707 fuel system. The fiery blast in the stormy Maryland sky caused the plane to break up in flight. Still, there are times when bad turbulence makes Chris nervous. The bottom surge tank skin was curled downward at a fracture line along the tank and closure rib. I am Edwin Montilla the son of Pan Am Flight Purser Mario Montilla who perished on Pan Am Flight 214 Dec 8, 1963. The accident is considered the worst lightning strike death toll. SIGMET No. Hampton Scott, then 24, saw the plane go down from his home on Bow Street. These studies have also indicated the structural damage that would be caused by the different causes of ignition. Pan Am Flight 214 - Wikipedia He was partners with my grandfather in our family business in which my father and his brother were also employed. It was just a bunch of debris strewn over the area there, I dont recall any suitcases or anything like that. It was just a debris field. Able to drive his familys gray station wagon, Hicks, then only 13, drove remains from the crash site to the temporary Red Cross station and morgue set up at the armory. We would be grateful if you would support our work by recording your loved ones, preserving their memory for future generations. At Baltimore a Pan American operations representative talked to the captain about the weather between Baltimore and Philadelphia. Be Nice. As a child my grandparents lived in Rising Sun and my moms uncle Charlie Ritchie owned Ritchie Motors. Carol Knuth Sakoian is reminded of her father whenever she smells a cigar or hears classical music. However, these alloys could not be identified since the chemical composition of the deposits did not conform to any alloy used in the airplane. Based in New York City, she frequently travels internationally for business. From left to right, George F. Knuth, pilot of Flight 214, with Carol, wife Betty, Mary, Sara and son Chris in the front. Lightning discharges can be hazardous to aircraft fuel systems by possibly igniting the fuel vapor within the tanks. reported it was the seventh disaster involving a Boeing 707. A portion of the trailing edge of the left horizontal stabilizer was burned through and the paint was blistered along the entire upper and lower surfaces of the trailing edge. 1 main tank and fire damage to parts after thereof, including the still attached inner ends of the outer panel rear spar and outboard aileron, are quite apparent. Approximately eight minutes later, at 2058:56 the following transmission was heard on the Philadlephia Approach Control frequency 124.6: "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY"[5] Clipper 214 out of control. 1 and 4 engines, pylons and sections of their cowling. [10] They patrolled the area with flares and set up searchlights to define the accident scene and to ensure that the debris and human remains were undisturbed by curious spectators. [1]:8, The recovery of the wreckage took place over a period of 12 days, and 16 truckloads of the debris were taken to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC, for investigators to examine and reassemble. March 27, 1977. [9][11], Remains of the victims were brought to the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, where a temporary morgue was created. Eastern time with 140 passengers and eight crew members, and arrived in Baltimore at 7:10pm. I've got five aircraft, have elected to hold until this extreme winds have passed, do you wish to be cleared for an approach or would you like to hold until the squall line passes Philadelphia, over?". Retired Elkton Police Chief Thomas McIntire met with a film documentary crew and Chris Knuth, the son of Pan Am 214s pilot, in 1994 to recall his memories of that night. DCA13MA120.aspx - NTSB In a communitys history, there are lots of things that add to the heritage of that place. [25] The FAA said that it would conduct research to determine the relative safety of the two types of jet fuel used in the United States, both of which were present in the fuel tanks of Flight 214. 1 and 4 reserve tanks an estimated 1.81 gallons of residual fuel, approximately 69 percent Type B; Nos. When the general alarm went out for all available ambulances, Steward W. Godwin, 56, responded on the North East Volunteer Fire Company unit. Back in January 1949, passengers credited the coolness of Knuth for saving the lives of 33 persons on board, according to an UP article published at the time. Pan American World Airways conducted a flight test in a Boeing 707 to determine if fuel would discharge through the tank vent system ram air inlet. The strange story of Pan Am Flight 914 is frequently shared by UFO blogs and . For more difficult cases, Fisher and his team reconstructed faces as best possible using mannequins. Error! Cecil County witnessed the dangers of the Jet Age relatively early. The discharge can also occur between oppositely charged regions within a cloud, or in different clouds. Weeks after the crash, Carol received two Christmas gifts that her father had purchased before the crash: a copy of Robinson Crusoe and 45-rpm records of folksinger Burl Ives, which he thought was popular music. This portion of the recording is not entirely clear, but this represents the best interpretation possible due to the quality of the tape. On This Day Pan Am Flight 214 Crashes (December 8 1963) Three other persons saw a ball of fire appear at the fork or one end of the lightning stroke. Most. [1]:14 The second officer was Paul L. Orringer, age 42, of New Rochelle, New York. Sherman and more than a dozen of his family members are coming this weekend. Pan Am Flight 214 disaster Frank Sinatra Jr. kidnapped A leak in the general vicinity of the transfer tube could possibly produce this result, but the fire could not be expected to progress through the trailing edge almost to the fuselage causing the observed inflight fire damage prior to failure of the wing near the source of the fire. Around 11 p.m., she heard the front door open and her mother, Elizabeth, walk to the neighbors house. PHOTO COURTESY OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CECIL COUNTY, COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CECIL COUNTY, COURTESY OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CECIL COUNTY, 50 years later, witnesses, families recall Flight 214 crash, By Dara McBride Seventy-two witnesses said that the ball of fire occurred at the same time as, or immediately after, the lightning strike. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. There was the airplane stewardess who changed her flight plans at the last minute. This entire sequence is accomplished in approximately one millisecond. The accident is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records (2005) as the "Worst Lightning Strike Death Toll." Flight history Pan American, N709PA, a Boeing 707-121, operating as Flight 214, departed Baltimore, Maryland, for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 8:24 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on December 8, 1963. Those waiting for loved ones to come home heard erroneous reports of a crash in Newark, Del., and began to worry. A Pan American World Airways, Inc., Boeing 707-121, N709PA, Flight 214, crashed at 2059 e.s.t., December 8, 1963, near Elkton, Maryland. Elkton Mayor Joe Fisona performs a wedding ceremony for Arnold and Allah Scolnik at the site of the Pan Am plane crash that killed Arnold's brother and sister-in-law in 1963. Then she hollered loud and clear over the crackling radio waves: Station 3 you have a plane crash., Elkton Chief Edgar Slaughter was in charge from the scene that night. The readings ranged from light to moderate with occasional areas of heavy magnetism. Like other family members of victims, Chris said he was grateful to the people of Elkton for responding to the tragedy. All 259 people on board were killed, and 11 individuals on the ground also died. The family would have meals with six or eight vegetables at a time, even eggplant, which was then considered kind of unusual. While searching for survivors about 1:30thatmorning he suddenly collapsed into the arms of Andrew Scarborough, another North East member, the News Journal reported. The times of frontal passage at certain east coast cities including Baltimore and Philadelphia were also discussed. They saw the Taj Mahal and the Buddhist temples in Thailand. Neither blast wave compression nor induced streamer ignition would leave visible evidence of the cause of ignition. One of the neighbors, a physician, came back to the house with Elizabeth to administer a sedative. I was a yeoman but that night it didn't matter, that night I was a SP. Such spillage from the opened outer end of the No. Thirty-three years later a similar recommendation was issued by the NTSB (the CAB Bureau of Safety's successor) after the TWA Flight 800 Boeing 747 crash on July 17, 1996, with 230 fatalities, which was also determined to have been caused by the explosion of a volatile mixture inside a fuel tank. Despite the one variation in results of the three magnetic surveys, no information significant to the investigation was obtained. [15] This high potential produces streamers from all extremities and high gradient points of the aircraft. On December 8, 1963, the Boeing 707-121 serving the flight crashed near Elkton, Maryland, while flying from Baltimore to Philadelphia, after being hit by lightning. A majority of the components of the various systems within N709PA were destroyed. However, the four powerplant pods in their entirety yielded only evidence of their having separated in flight due to excessive load factors, without engine failure or malfunction prior to separation. This briefing included a discussion of SIGMET No. A large portion of the left wing separated in flight and the aircraft crashed in flames approximately ten nautical miles southwest of the New Castle, Delaware VOR. All 81 people on board were killed. JP-4 advocates countered that the fuel was as safe, or safer than, kerosene, the other fuel used in jets at the time. In normal flight, the airflow over the wing and materials separating from the wing trailing edge pass well below the horizontal tail rather than striking it and do not have the sideward component of travel displayed by the metal splatters. It included the wreckage farthest from the main crater and consisted of nearly all the pieces of the left outer wing panel, notable exceptions being the inboard portions of the outer panel rear spar and aileron. Seven witnesses stated that they had seen lightning strike the aircraft. At 7:35 p.m. EST, Flight 214 made an intermediate stop at Friendship . Cecil County had experienced its own loss when Steward Godwin, of the North East Fire Company, collapsed at the scene about 1:30 a.m. on Monday. 8:42p.m. [15] He had a total flying time of 6,066 hours, including 76 hours in the Boeing 707. Many of the victims were residents of Pennsylvania. 1 (left) reserve tank, causing an explosion that blew apart the outer portion of the jetliner's port wing. Pan Am Flight 214 Lightning strikes - RareNewspapers.com Carbon monoxide tests of passengers also indicated no elevated levels. The loss of Bob, meant that my father, who was new to the business, had to pick up his uncles duties. [22] Within a week of the crash, the FAA issued an order requiring the installation of static electricity dischargers on the approximately 100 Boeing jet airliners that had not already been so equipped. It was demonstrated that direct lightning strikes to over wing filler caps and access plates of the configuration used on the aircraft in question can produce sparks inside of the fuel tank. Knuth usually piloted international flights around the globe, meaning he was away for weeks at a time. Simulation of lightning strikes to the extent of the testing facility capability did not produce any recorded evidence of sparking within the tank. I am so sorry for your loss, Edwin. : Reporting rain and winds, Flight 214 is advised to hold outside New Castle, Del. Even the video itself casts doubt, with the narrator noting after . [1]:2[3], As the flight approached Philadelphia, the pilots made radio contact with air traffic control near Philadelphia at 8:42pm. The flight was vectored for a visual approach to runway . In-flight fire damage was noted on the three steel tracks for the inboard flap on the track at the inboard end of the outboard flap, the inner end of the outboard flap, fragments of the spoilers, dump chute components, coverlip doors, and fragments of the fore flaps. person will not be tolerated. The aircraft was fueled with Type B to a total of 78,000 pounds. [3] The costs of the CAB's investigations rarely exceeded $10,000, but the agency would spend about $125,000 investigating this crash (equivalent to $1,100,000 in 2021), not including the money spent by Boeing, the FAA, Pratt & Whitney, and other aircraft-part suppliers during additional investigations. On the seventh day, a memorial service was held at the crash site. There were three groups of golfers, the alumni from Northeastern University who took a winter vacation every year, two honeymoon couples and a young woman bringing her infant son to meet his grandparents for the first time. It would be two more days until Dr. Russell S. Fisher, state medical examiner, identified all the bodies. After the collision we dropped slightly, as though we had hit an air pocket. [1]:14, The CAB assigned more than a dozen investigators within an hour of the crash. Turbulence, thunderstorms, and icing were included in all routine forecasts as well as SIGMETS for the area surrounding the accident site during the period Flight 214 was to be operating in that region. List of Dead and Survivors on Pan American Plane Memorial Day 1947, Eastern Airlines Flight 605 fell from the sky with 53 people on board, landing in a wooded area off Principio Road outside Port Deposit, according to records at the Historical Society. They were told to continue to hold and they would be cleared as soon as possible. FAA letter on lightning protection measures, Traffic delays ahead: DelDOT to begin reconstructing I-95/Del. Air carrier aircraft operated into and out of Philadelphia immediately before and after the accident. The flight was properly dispatched and cleared, and conformed to the air traffic control rules. He never lost control for an instant. Chris has visited Elkton several times to meet with witnesses and visit the crash site, now marked with a commemorative stone. [6] NAL 16 was in the same holding pattern as Flight 214 but 1,000 feet higher, and the first officer had seen the Pan American flight descending on fire. He called Pan Am and the company confirmed his parents were on the flight. In response to the CAB's findings, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered lightning discharge wicks (or static dischargers) to be installed on all commercial jets flying inside US airspace. The story of an American plane reappearing after 37 years is a myth Our obligation is to document history, and this was a sad one, but a formative one, Dixon said. It was a cold night and snowing. George F. Knuth was an Iowa farm boy who originally wanted to be a science teacher, but then joined the military to fly planes. At this point, he had worked 14 hours at the crash site. I think he would want us to be brave and move forward, and be sensitive and thoughtful, Sherman said. You have permission to edit this article. I remember him bringing home the extra work. [22], Before this flight, lightning had not been known to cause a plane to crash, despite many instances of planes being struck. Pan Am Flight 214 - Timenote The No. If the stepped leader of a stroke approaches a flying aircraft, the intense electric field induces streamers from the extremities of the aircraft out toward the approaching stroke. [5] Of the 140 witnesses interviewed, 99 reported seeing an aircraft or a flaming object in the sky. It was the way to travel in style, equipped the way a railroad club car would be with a lounge and other comforts. Pilot George F. Knuth, captain of Flight 214, in his Pan Am photo. The CAB team was assisted by investigators from the Boeing Company, Pan Am, the Air Line Pilots Association, Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). The exact manner of ignition was never determined, but the investigation yielded information about how lightning can damage aircraft, leading to new safety regulations. [10] He had been involved in another incident in 1949 when, as pilot of Pan Am Flight 100, a Lockheed Constellation in flight over Port Washington, New York, a Cessna 140 single-engined airplane crashed into his plane. All 81 occupants of . Stiffeners and access doors were bowed outward. Before observing the aircraft, a glow or light was observed in near proximity to the location of the lightning discharge. Scientists said it was improbable for lightning to have caused the crash, Delawares News Journal reported. The crew elected to remain at 5,000 feet (1,500m) in a holding pattern with five other aircraft. The Federal Aviation Agency is implementing research and test programs to accomplish, in the main, the Coordinating Research Council's recommendations. United Airlines got many of Pan Am's old flights. [1]:9 Pan Am said that it would test a new system to inject inert gas into the air spaces above the fuel tanks in aircraft in an attempt to reduce the risk of hazardous fuel-air mixtures that could ignite. Knuth landed his plane with the other plane still attached. At that time a faintly luminous stepped leader advances toward and area of opposite potential, the earth in the case of cloud to ground lightning. The lightning protection requirements of the Federal Aviation Agency were satisfied. The crash was Pan Am's first fatal accident with the 707, which it had introduced to its fleet five years earlier. Turbulence, unusually fast and heavy icing and the possibility of an insufficient lift in the jets wings were all theorized as causes. On December 17, 1963, nine days after the crash of flight 214, Leon H. Tanguay, director of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Bureau of Safety, sent a letter to the FAA recommending several safety modifications as part of future aircraft design. I just found this site. The airline suffered a total of 95 incidents. [14], The plane carried 73 passengers, who all died in the crash. Metallographic examination of several areas of lightning damage showed characteristic deposits of porous fused metal on the damaged surfaces and a distinct boundary between the affected and unaffected metal. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Welcome to a Window on Cecil Countys past. A smaller hole was burned adjacent to the outboard edge of the access cover over the fluxgate compass transmitter. Also, the fire damage high on the left side of the vertical tail is wholly incompatible with fire emanating from the wing trailing edge under any normal flight conditions. i have the full list of victims(including the crew). [18]:22[24] Aviation industry representatives were critical of the order, countering that there was no evidence that the dischargers would have any beneficial effect since they were not designed to handle the effects of lightning.
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