Northeast Airlines Flight 946
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 Wreckage of Northeast Airlines Flight 946 |
|
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 25, 1968 |
| Type | Pilot error |
| Site | Etna, New Hampshire |
| Fatalities | 32 |
| Injuries | 10 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Fairchild Hiller 227 |
| Operator | Northeast Airlines |
| Tail number | N380NE |
| Passengers | 39 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Survivors | 10 |
Northeast Airlines Flight 946 was a domestic U.S. flight from Boston, Massachusetts to Montpelier, Vermont, with a refueling stop in Lebanon, New Hampshire, operated by Northeast Airlines. On October 25, 1968 some time during the evening, Northeast Airlines Flight 946 crashed on Moose Mountain while descending on approach. The crashed killed 32 of 42 passengers and crew. Of the fatalities, four were employees from the National Life Insurance Company who were returning from a business trip. The fatalities also included a reporter for the Barre Daily Times and six social workers of the Vermont Head Start Supplementary Training Program on a conference trip. Ten passengers survied the crash with minor or moderate injuries. After the crash, Northeast Airlines, continued flight service until its merger with Delta Air Lines in the early 1970s.
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[edit] Crew
The crew of Flight 946 consisted of Captain John A. Rapsis, 52 who had been a pilot for Northeast Airlines since 1957 and had over 15,000 hours of flight experience. The copilot, John C. O'Neil, 29 was hired in 1967 and was less experienced. [1]The only flight attendant on Flight 946 was Miss Frail (first name unknown) who was hired in June 1968 [2][3]
[edit] Flight and Crash
At 5:42 p.m. EST, Northeast Airlines Flight 946 left Logan International Airport towards its first stop in Lebanon, New Hampshire. The weather at the time of take off was fair with scattered low clouds while airport officials at Logan claimed there was fog during takeoff.[2] The National Transportation Safety Board stated in its report that the flight was "routine" until the plane approached Lebanon Airport which was located in a valley, surrounded by nearby hills. At 6:11 p.m. EST, the pilots radioed the control tower that they were executing a standard approach maneuver before preparing to land. Air Traffic Control replied and gave the crew weather, visibility and other information regarding conditions at the airport.[1]
Moments after that transmission, the plane crashed into the side of Moose Mountain and disintegrated. The impact killed 32 of the 42 passengers and crew (31 instantly, 1 later). The passengers who survived the crash were at the rear of the plane and were able to escape the wreckage through the rear emergency exit or through the fractures in the fuselage.[1]
The crash was witnessed by a deer hunter and nearby residents who called police and fire department. Moments later, rescuers began to search for bodies and survivors despite the deteriorating conditions.[2]
[edit] Aftermath
During its investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board reported that the plane was flying 600 feet below its requried altitude. It is unclear why the pilots made the decision to fly the low altitude because both the Black Box and the flight data recorder were badly damaged in the crash. However, the NTSB suggested in its finding in 1970 that the pilots misjudged their altitude position during approach and there were no navigational aids in the aircraft or near the airport.[1]
Officals at the New Hampshire Areonautics Commission charged that the FAA had ignored repeated warnings about installing a navigation system at Lebanon Airport and that installing such system might have prevented the crash.[4]
The crash had an impact on the struggling Northeast Airlines as it was the fifth airline crash in its 25 year history. At the time of the crash, the airline had lost four planes and 38 passengers and crew. The airline would continue to operate independently until its merger with Delta Air Lines in the 1970s. [5]
The president of National Life held a memorial for its employees who died in the crash. 35 years after the crash, the brother, daughter , nephew and niece of Terry Hudson who died in the crash continue to work at National Life. In addition, Edmond Rousse jr, also began working at National Life.[2]
[edit] Trivia
- George Collins, one of the five National Life employees who boarded Flight 946, was assigned a window seat but instead switched seats with another passenger. That passenger died in the crash and Collins survied with severe injuries.[1]
- Anne Foti was supposed to be on flight 946, but instead made a last minute flight cancellation at 12:00 pm on Friday (several hours before the plane took off from Boston).[3]
- Terry Hudson's girlfriend, Janet Johnson residence was only eight miles away from the crash site when the accident occurred.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f National Life Insurance CompanyThe Crash of Flight 946URL Accessed:October 4, 2006
- ^ a b c d The Times AgrusNine area are among the 32 killed in plane crash(October 26, 1968)URL Accessed:October 4, 1968
- ^ a b The Times ArgusPage 2 of the Newspaper coverage of the CrashURL Accessed:October 4, 1968
- ^ Duggan, JoeFAA Warned about Lebanon lack of Safety AidsThe New Hampshire Sunday News URL Accessed:October 4, 2006
- ^ This is Northeasts fifth crash in its 25 year historyURL Accessed:October 5, 2006
