| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 15 April 1948 |
| Type | Continuation of an instrument approach to an altitude insufficient to clear the terrain |
| Site | Shannon, Ireland |
| Passengers | 21 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Fatalities | 30 |
| Survivors | 1 |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-1049C-55-81 Super Constellation |
| Aircraft name | Clipper Empress of the Skies |
| Operator | Pan Am |
| Flight origin | London |
| Stopover | Shannon, Ireland |
| Destination | New York City |
Pan Am Flight 1-10 was a passenger flight from London to Shannon Airport, during a flight round the world from San Francisco, California to New York. On 15 April 1948 it crashed 725 meter (2380 feet) short of then runway 23. 10 flight crew and 20 passengers were killed in the crash. 1 passenger survived with minor injuries.
"Pan Am Flight 1-10", flown with the Pan American Airways Lockheed Constellation, aircraft NC-88858 named "Clipper Empress of the Skies", departed from a London airport a 0:35am. At 1:59am it reported being to Shannon Airport that it was at the marker at Limerick Junction. She got a clearance to land on runway 23 at 2:10am but reported a missed approach ten minutes later. After getting a second clearance to land, it struck a stone fence some 725 meter (2380 feet) short of the runway, but perfectly aligned with it. The initial crash ripped the plane apart. The undercarriage and the motors were torn off while the fuselage broke into three pieces. Fire destroyed the remains of the fuselage.
The Civil Aeronautics Board investigated the crash and published her findings on 24 June 1948. She came to the following conclusion:
| “ | The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the continuation of an instrument approach to an altitude insufficient to clear the terrain.
A contributing factor may have been the failure of the pilot's instrument fluorescent light. |
” |
The flight crew had earlier reported trouble with the pilot's instrument fluorescent light. At earlier stops in Brussels and London this light had failed too, but maintenance crew in London could not solve the case due to lack of spare parts.
Shannon Airport had earlier reported a fire in her ILS-system, causing the system to fail. By the time the "Clipper Empress of the Skies" arrived, the system was again fully functional.