Trans World Airlines-Castleton Inc. Flight 12 Jan 1955
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 12, 1955 |
| Type | Mid-air collision |
| Site | Boone County, KY |
| Fatal Injuries | 15, total for both planes |
| Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Aircraft type | Martin 202 |
| Operator | TWA |
| Registration | N93211 |
| Passengers | 10 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Aircraft type | DC-3 |
| Operator | Private-Castleton, Inc. |
| Registration | N999B |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Trans World Airlines / Castleton Inc. midair collision occurred on January 12, 1955. A TWA Martin 202 was on takeoff from Greater Cincinnati Airport (CVG), then called Boone County Airport, when it experienced a midair collision with a privately owned DC-3. The National Carbon Coated Paper Company DC-3 had entered the airports control space without proper clearance. There were no survivors.
Contents |
[edit] Aircraft and crews
The TWA plane, flown by Captain J. W. Quinn and Co-pilot R. Childress, was bound for Dayton, OH enroute to Cleveland, OH. This was a regularly scheduled flight.
The DC-3 was piloted by Arthur "Slim" Werkhaven of Sturgis, Michigan with co-pilot Edward Agner of Battle Creek, Michigan and was being flown from Battle Creek, MI enroute to Lexington, KY. They were to pick up Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick Van Lennep. Mrs. Van Lennep, the former Frances Dodge, was an officer of the firm that owned the plane and founded the Dodge Stables at Meadow Brook Farm, later moving Dodge Stables to Castleton Farm in Lexington. The plane would have carried the Van Lenneps to Del Ray, Florida.
[edit] Collision and crash
The Martin 202 had just taken off from the airport and was climbing through a cloud base at 700-900 feet when the collision occurred. The right wing of the Martin 202 struck the left wing of the DC-3. This caused the right wing of the Martin to separate and the DC-3 experienced fuselage, rudder and fin damage. Following the collision both aircraft crashed out of control, impacting the ground about two miles apart. The wreckage of one of the aircraft fell along Hebron-Limaburg Road, two miles northeast of Burlington, KY. There were no survivors from either aircraft.
[edit] Aftermath
The control tower, operated by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), reported that there was no record of a flight plan for either aircraft. A CAA spokesman said that radio messages from the TWA plane shortly after takeoff indicated the pilot was "alarmed and excited".[1]. The spokesman also said the pilot was cleared for takeoff and to make a right turn out.
This was the first accident for TWA in over ten years, since December 1, 1944.
[edit] References
- ^ The Middletown Journal, January 12, 1955
[edit] See also
- Air safety
- Lists of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners
- National Transportation Safety Board
- Burlington, Kentucky
