3 was issued by the USWB office, Washington National Airport. I was just a small boy at the time and never heard about it previously. [1]:56 Parts of the wreckage ripped a 40-foot wide (12m) hole in a country road, shattered windows in a nearby home, and spread burning jet fuel across a wide area. Onboard: 73 passengers and eight crew members. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17U.S.C. Dedicated in 2011,it was placedwhere the plane hit ahillside, taking 53 lives on Memorial Day 1947. At 7:35 p.m. EST, Flight 214 made an intermediate stop at Friendship . In a communitys history, there are lots of things that add to the heritage of that place. Create a password that only you will remember. Pan Am Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled flight from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia International Airport, with a scheduled stopover at Baltimore's Friendship Airport. The discharge can also occur between oppositely charged regions within a cloud, or in different clouds. Remnants of 9 feet (3m) of the wing tip had been found at various points along the flight path short of the impact crater. The strange story of Pan Am Flight 914 is frequently shared by UFO blogs and . We dont take leaving each other for granted., 4:10 p.m.: Flight 214 leaves San Juan, Puerto Rico, 7:35 p.m.: Flight 214 arrives in Baltimore, the plane is inspected and crew informed of weather that night. The passengers said Capt. It was a cold night and snowing. Four rivet heads and small areas of metal adjacent to the rivets were burned off the top surface near the trailing edge of the wing tip. The fiery blast in the stormy Maryland sky caused the plane to break up in flight. It was piloted by Captain Leroy Petersen, 52, who had 17,414 hours of pilot time of which 7,416 hours were in the 707. A Pan American World Airways, Inc., Boeing 707-121, N709PA, Flight 214, crashed at 2059 e.s.t., December 8, 1963, near Elkton, Maryland. He tried to keep in the Christmas spirit for his girls. No evidence of a direct strike was found on these parts from N709PA. [19] Other theories included sabotage or lightning, but by nightfall after the first day, investigators had not found evidence of either. On the morning of December 8, 1963, N709PA departed Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as Pan American Flight 213 and proceeded to San Juan, Puerto Rico, with an en route stop at Baltimore, Maryland. He always had a big garden, even when living on Long Island. Thirty-eight mentioned an explosion at impact. Everything outside lit up and as soon as I looked up I could see the plane on fire. However, due to the inflight fire damage in the left inboard wing trailing edge, the left horizontal tail and the left side of the vertical tail and aft fuselage, the possibility of a fuel leak in the trailing edge of the left inboard wing was explored in connection with initiation of the accident. The weather in the holding pattern area as described by the first officer of Flight 16 was cloudy, with comparatively smooth air, and the ground lights were occasionally visible through breaks in the clouds. On that cold rainy December evening,as lighting periodically illuminated the cornfield, acounty firefighter also died in the line of duty. By the time many arrived to the scene, there were pockets of fire in the field. Top headlines sent to your inbox. Multiple lightning-strike marks were found on the left wing tips. Flight 1736, operated by Boeing 747-121 Clipper Victor, collided on the runway with KLM Flight 4805, also a Boeing 747, at Los Rodeos Airport due to errors of ATC and the KLM pilots, killing all 248 on board the KLM 747 and 335 of 396 on board the Pan Am 747 totaling out to 583 dead. I was 6 at the time and my great uncle Bob, my name sake was kidled along with his wife Florence. Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 registered as N709PA, was en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia on December 8, 1963, when it crashed near Elkton, Maryland after being hit by lightning, killing all 81 on board. This weekend, more than 20 of Joyce and Roberts family members will visit Elkton. Electrical resistance measurements were taken across 21 fuel tank access plates. [9][11], Remains of the victims were brought to the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, where a temporary morgue was created. The weather documentation and briefing furnished the crew at San Juan was satisfactory. The crew advised Philadelphia they would hold and were instructed to hold west of New Castle VOR on the 270 radial and given an expected approach clearance time of 2110. The density of these pieces varied from low to high processing westerly along the 250-degree path. The crash was Pan Am's first fatal accident with the 707, which it had introduced to its fleet five years earlier. For people who grew up in America between WWII and the Korean War, aviation was a thrilling new frontier, explains Thomas Anthony, director of the University of Southern Californias Aviation Safety and Security Program. DCA13MA120.aspx - NTSB They said, Daddy come quick, theres a falling star and I said, Thats no falling star, thats a plane, the Rev. The crew elected to remain at 5,000 feet (1,500m) in a holding pattern with five other aircraft. Thus, to predict in the absence of physical evidence the exact mechanism of ignition in this particular case is not possible. Fingerprints, dental records and personal effects found nearby were the primary means of identification. The then director of DuPonts engineering physics research laboratories told the paper he had once been on a plane struck by lightning and those inside the cabin hardly noticed; the metal skin of the airplane carried the lightnings current. The area where the plane crashed off Delancy Road is now the neighborhood of Turnquist, but was then only populated by a few farm houses. The resultant fuel load was a mixture of Type A and Type B distributed as follows. To mark the passage of 50 years since the accident, the Historical Society of Cecil County held. Pan Am provided the family with passes to travel. All 81 occupants of . The crew of flight 214 managed to transmit a final message "Mayday, mayday, mayday Clipper 214 out of control here we go" before it crashed near Elkton, Maryland. At 2058 a "MAYDAY"[2] transmission was heard from the flight. 23K views 9 years ago On Dec. 8, 1963, Pan Am World Airways Flight 214 crashed in Elkton, MD. Toxicological examination of the flight crew showed no evidence of alcohol or elevated carbon monoxide levels. Extensive and meticulous effort was expended attempting to find evidence of an electrical discharge that may have ignited the flammable mixture in the left reserve tank with negative results. [1]:2 After 67 passengers disembarked in Baltimore,[3] the aircraft departed at 8:24pm with its remaining 73 passengers for the final leg to Philadelphia International Airport. Memorial Remembers Victims of Pan American Plane Crash in Elkton I was a yeoman but that night it didn't matter, that night I was a SP. It is the worst plane disaster ever attributed to lightening and subsequent investigations into the crash led to changes in airplane design that have since saved many lives from perishing in similar lightening accidents. Those waiting for loved ones to come home heard erroneous reports of a crash in Newark, Del., and began to worry. Family and Friends from Flight Pan Am 806 | Pago Pago - Facebook Thanks Edwin. 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. The testing facility that was used is recognized as being among the most proficient in the field of lightning simulation and research. or anything. I try to make Christmas for my wife and kids a special time.. 3 and 4 main tanks and float valves in the Nos. The depth of the craters ranged from 132 inch to complete perforation of the 116 inch thick wing tip skin. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, [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. The paint had been discolored by heat and there was localized charring of the paint. Carol Knuth Sakoian is reminded of her father whenever she smells a cigar or hears classical music. person will not be tolerated. Through work the society is doing now, future generations will have more information available regarding Flight 214. 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. However, on December 4, 1991 Pan Am stopped flying due to the big financial problems. Magnetic strength surveys were made using a comparative Gaussmeter with a probe containing ferrous core coils, current amplifier, microammeter, and sensitivity adjustment. Flight Brothers FT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhGp5kpoMvFMMg3KGPENZAPan Am 707 Photo: https://www.flickr.com/people/23344035@N03 (clipperarctic)This . [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. 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. On December 8, 1963, Pan Am Flight 214, a 707-121, crashed outside Elkton, Maryland during a severe electrical storm, with a loss of all 81 passengers and crew. Some years, the anniversary of his fathers death falls during Hanukkah. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Welcome to a Window on Cecil Countys past. Numerous instances of in-flight fire were found on the recovered wreckage of the lift inboard wing aft of the rear spar, although most of the external skin remained unidentified. Scott left the scene to report to his job as a mail worker at 5 a.m. on Monday. The complete passenger list of Pan Am 103 This should be the (un-)complete list of unfornunate passengers aboard Pan Am 103. 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). Pan Am Flight 214, a Boeing 707-121 registered as N709PA, was en route from Baltimore to Philadelphia on December 8, 1963, when it crashed near Elkton, Maryland after being hit by lightning, killing all 81 on board. Pan Am Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled flight from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia International Airport, with a scheduled stopover at Baltimore 's Friendship Airport. Knuth usually piloted international flights around the globe, meaning he was away for weeks at a time. Even the video itself casts doubt, with the narrator noting after . Here we go." reported it was the seventh disaster involving a Boeing 707. Don't Threaten. Many of the victims were residents of Pennsylvania. Relatives came to the armory, but officials said it would not be possible to visually identify any of the victims. He died of a heart attack. For more difficult cases, Fisher and his team reconstructed faces as best possible using mannequins. 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. And in Elkton, an unusual winter thunderstorm rattled the small town with pouring rain, wind and flashes of lightning. 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. The crew of this flight observed a lightning strike on their aircraft while in the holding pattern. The Boeing 747 had only just landed in Karachi, Pakistan, when members of Palestine's Abu Nidal Organization rushed the plane, armed with explosive belts, grenades, and AK-47s. Vacation clothing, some hanging in trees and some lying neatly folded on hangers in a ditch. 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. [15] He had a total of 13,963 hours of flying time, of which 2,681 were in the Boeing 707. Seventy-two witnesses indicated that the ball of fire appeared concurrent with or immediately following the lightning stroke. The vent system interconnects all fuel tanks and the vent outlets through passages capable of transmitting flame when filled with flammable mixtures; thus initial ignition could have occurred inside the left reserve tank, inside the left surge tank, or at the left vent outlet. Possible sources of such leaks are the dump chute assembly, the reserve tank transfer tube, or a rear spar crack. Very slight outward bulging of the tank end rib was noted. [3], Investigators rapidly located the flight data recorder, but it was badly damaged in the crash. Eli, thanks for sharing this information about your family. [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. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigated the accident, and issued the following Probable Cause statement on March 3, 1965: Probable Cause: Lightning-induced ignition of the fuel/air mixture in the no. Meherjee Kharas, a 28-year-old Pan Am mechanic on board, was forced to make radio contact with negotiators outside. These streamers have been found to be in the duration and energy range required to ignite flammable mixtures. There was never a second thought about putting the Knuth children on planes after the crash. All persons aboard the aircraft were killed instantly. Most passengers were returning from vacation. Air carrier aircraft operated into and out of Philadelphia immediately before and after the accident. When relatives, friends and local witnesses gather in memory of the crash this weekend, members of the historical society will meet them privately to record their recollections. 50 years later, witnesses, families recall Flight 214 crash There was one trip when the plane suddenly dropped, knocking a flight attendant unconscious after she hit the ceiling. His father coordinated many arrangements for families coming in to pick up the remains of loved ones. They sometimes got the thrill of traveling first class. I just found this site. Mt. that is degrading to another person. This entire sequence is accomplished in approximately one millisecond. It is felt that the current state of the art does not permit and extension of test results to unqualified conclusions of all aspects of natural lightning effects. Knuth landed his plane with the other plane still attached. The flight recorder tape was torn and crumpled but had little fire damage. The tape showed an elapsed time of approximately 32 minutes and 50 seconds from lift-off at Baltimore until impact with the ground. The engines were buried in the ground 10 to 15 feet (3 to 5m) from the force of the impact. This horrible incident changed my whole life from this day forward. The apparent capricious nature of lightning is evidenced by the range of extremes as well as, in some cases, the unique nature of the damage that results. The bodies of all persons aboard the aircraft were recovered and identified. The first commercial radio, WSER, had started to broadcast. When the area was finished, 16 truckloads of wreckage were taken to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., for investigators with the Civil Aeronautics Board to reassemble to determine the cause of the crash. I just found this article while trying to research the names of the four crew members on board that were NOT in the cockpit. Success! All persons aboard, 73 passengers and eight crew members, perished in the crash and the aircraft was destroyed. Nearer to and still northeast of the crater there were numerous pieces of still denser wreckage, such as fragments of wing structure surrounding the center section fuel tank, air conditioning packs including the primary heat exchangers, the right horizontal stabilizer, etc. There was also soot under the mud on the inboard flap gear box area. Consequently, there is a direct correlation in time and location between the lightning discharge and start of events which culminated in the accident. But on Dec. 8, Gilbert had to call his grandparents to tell them his parents, Robert and Joyce, had died on Flight 215. [14] Additional charge cells in the cloud may then successively discharge through this main ionized channel as a single flickering flash which may last as long as one second. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. The story of an American plane reappearing after 37 years is a myth Scientists said it was improbable for lightning to have caused the crash, Delawares News Journal reported. i have the full list of victims(including the crew). You werent obligated to do it, but you wanted to do it, you wanted to help your neighbor in need, he said. [1]:14 The flight engineer was John R. Kantlehner of Long Island. Mikes Blog About the Professional Practice of Public History. This is a list of accidents and incidents involving American airline Pan Am. They also said that the plane would have had to dive a considerable distance before aerodynamic forces would have caused it to break up and explode, but the aircraft apparently had caught fire close to its cruising altitude of 5,000 feet. Aviation is inherently interesting because it involves almost a sublime and unexpected activity, he said. [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. "[20] Eventually, investigators were able to extract data from 95% of the tape that had been in the recorder. The crater contained most of the fuselage and left inner wing wreckage, the left main gear and the nose gear.