Mohawk Airlines Flight 40
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| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 23, 1967 |
| Type | Mechanical failure followed by fire, structural failure and loss of control |
| Site | Blossburg, Pennsylvania |
| Passengers | 30 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities | 34 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | BAC 1-11 204AF |
| Operator | Mohawk Airlines |
| Tail number | N1116J |
Mohawk Airlines Flight 40 was a scheduled passenger flight between Elmira, New York and Washington, DC. On June 23, 1967 it suffered a loss of control and crashed, killing all 30 passengers and 4 crew on board. It was the deadliest disaster in the airline's history.
Contents |
[edit] The aircraft
The BAC 1-11 was new, having had its first flight one year previously. The airframe had accumulated 2246 hours in total. It was equipped with two Rolls Royce 506-14 Spey engines. Its registration number was N1116J.
[edit] History of flight
The aircraft, a BAC 1-11, took off at approximately 14:39 EDT. It was cleared to ascend to 16,000 feet five minutes later. Shortly afterwards several eyewitnesses saw large pieces of the tailplane break away from the plane, and flames and smoke come from the fuselage. The aircraft subsequently lost control and dove into the ground. No-one on the ground was hurt but there were no survivors aboard the plane.
[edit] The investigation
The NTSB launched a full investigation. The findings of that investigation are as follows:
A non-return valve in the auxiliary power unit (APU) had suffered a complete failure. This allowed bleed air from the engine to flow through the system in the wrong direction. This air exited at the start of the system at sufficient temperatures to ignite components there. The fire quickly spread to the hydraulics in the aircraft, and moved along the hydraulic lines to the rear of the plane. There, it caused heavy damage to the tail, causing a loss of pitch control which sent the airplane diving into the ground.
[edit] Notable Passenger
Very Reverend Alexander Bernard Beaton, Age 51. A native of Lourdes, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, Canada; he was just elected to the position of Superior General of the Franscian Friars of the Atonement several weeks prior to the crash and was residing at Greymoore, Garrison NY. He was flying to attend a General Chapter meeting of the Order that was being held in Washington, DC. At the time of his death, Very Reverend Beaton was the youngest person ever to be elected as head of that Order.
[edit] Aftermath
In July 1967 the NTSB made three safety recommendations to the FAA. Consequently the FAA issued Airworthiness Directive 68-1-1 to prevent heat damage or fire in the airframe plenum of the auxiliary power unit (APU) installation.
