Kyra Dempsey, analyzer of plane crashes. Steps have been taken to ensure that accidents of this type never happen again, but those steps were not in place on September 9, 1969. Weather was overcast with one and one half miles visibility and snow showers. He must have seriously considered skipping the stop in New London and proceeding straight to New Haven, but before doing so, he came up with one last idea: he would request a contact approach. During a contact approach, a crew flying on an IFR flight plan may deviate from the instrument approach procedure upon making contact with the ground, then proceed to the runway visually, as long as they stay away from clouds. However, flight 485 was so far behind schedule that the chances of either pilot getting this bonus were zero, meaning that the NTSB could not link the incentive structure to the captains actions on this particular flight. King was so grateful for the help of the doctor and others that she sent them a plaque which is now displayed at Bradford Regional Airport. [1], Flight 737 took off from Washington D.C. bound for Detroit, Michigan with intermediate stops in Harrisburg, Bradford, and Erie, Pennsylvania. For survivors who included young Kristen King, it was a long, cold night of thankfulness. Shortly thereafter the aircraft was seen descending in a nose-up attitude with the landing gear retracted. Allegheny Airlines timetable Dec 15, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Timetable April 27, 1969, Allegheny Airlines Timetable April 26, 1970, Allegheny Commuter Timetable Sept. 5, 1979, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton International Airport, BaltimoreWashington International Airport, Greater Buffalo-Niagara Falls International Airport, Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, List of defunct airlines of the United States, "Allegheny Airlines April 1, 1979 Route Map", Lower Swatara township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, http://www.airliners.net/photo/US-Airways-(Allegheny/Airbus-A319-112/1836137/&sid=bbaeef5445291b137cf003cdf0f4c51e, "N745VJ | Airbus A319-112 | American Airlines | Roberto Balboa", "ASN Aircraft accident Martin 2-0-2 N172A Wilmington-Newcastle County Airport, DE (ILG)", "ASN Aircraft accident Martin 2-0-2 N174A Williamsport-Lycoming County Airport, PA (IPT)", "ASN Aircraft accident Martin 2-0-2 N177A Newark International Airport, NJ (EWR)", "ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-440 N3414 Harrisburg Airport, PA (HAR)", "ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-580 N5802 Bradford Airport, PA (BFD)", "ASN Aircraft accident Convair CV-580 N5825 Bradford Airport, PA (BFD)", "NTSB Report Allegheny Airlines, Inc., Allison Prop Jet Convair 340/440, N5832, New Haven, Connecticut, June 7, 1971", "NTSB Report AAR-78-2 Allegheny Airlines, Inc., Douglas DC-9, N994VJ, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 23, 1976", Association of Professional Flight Attendants, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Allegheny_Airlines&oldid=1151320480, Defunct regional airlines of the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2019, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, On November 14, 1955, an Allegheny Airlines, On October 19, 1962, an Allegheny Airlines, On November 2, 1963, an Allegheny Airlines Martin 2-0-2 was damaged beyond repair under unknown circumstances while taxiing at, On November 29, 1966, Allegheny Airlines Flight 305, operated by a Convair 440, suffered a complete electrical failure on takeoff from, On June 23, 1976, Allegheny Airlines Flight 121, a DC-9, crashed on the runway due to windshear at, On July 9, 1978, Allegheny Airlines Flight 453 crash-landed at, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 08:31. Flight 737 complied, and by 20:31, had reported completing the procedure turn inbound. A passenger therefore would have needed to read the instructions written on the door in order to open it, but with smoke pouring into the cabin from the raging fire outside, it was much too dark to see anything. The FAA had granted this exemption to eight US airlines between 1970 and 1971, including Allegheny Airlines and its Convair CV-580s. NTSB Synopsis: "On December 24, 1968, Allegheny Airlines Flight 736, a Convair 580, N5802, crashed. At ten miles from the airport Flight 737 asked for clearance to make its instrument approach to runway 14 instead of runway 32. At 20:35, the aircraft struck treetops just 4.7 nautical miles (8.7 km) from the airport, subsequently crashing through some trees that were bordering the Pine Acres Golf Course. kdsager@bradfordera.com. The Allegheny Airlines plane came crashing down into a field, killing everyone on board. If he could get a direct vector to the start of the approach, make a simple right turn at the Pond Point intersection, and perform a straight-in landing on the first attempt on New Havens runway 2, he would save about 200 pounds of fuel relative to what had been planned for that leg, and then he would be in the clear to continue to Philadelphia without refueling. The persons involved stated that it was performed between 1220 and 1235. [7][8] The Mohawk merger added British Aircraft Corporation BAC One-Eleven jets to the fleet as well. Allegheny also briefly operated Douglas DC-9-10 aircraft. Either way, the result was that by the time of the accident, the airport still had no working ILS. Allegheny Airlines was a regional airline that operated out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1952 to 1979 with routes primarily located in the eastern U.S.[1] It was the forerunner of USAir that was subsequently renamed US Airways, which itself merged with American Airlines. At ten miles from the airport, Flight 737 requested and received clearance to make its instrument approach to runway 14 instead of runway 32. The rules required visibility of 1,000 feet up and three miles out for any airport without instrument landing systems. There no lights, it was bitter cold and no communication.The state police were there, but they were in hunting clothes because it was so cold.. Chance of rain 70%.. Cloudy with rain and snow. One man's quest to memorialize the victims of the worst airline disaster in Lycoming County history, the crash of Allegheny Airlines Flight 371 on Bald Eagle Mountain, is coming to an end. Local residents were merely thankful that the demolished beach cottages were unoccupied at the time, doubtlessly sparing more people from death or injury. Allegheny Airlines Flight 737, of January 6, 1969, was a scheduled late due to a late arrival of the aircraft at Washington caused by Air Traffic Control (Am) weather delays. In fact, visibility at New Haven was 1 miles (2.8 kilometers) laterally with an indefinite cloud ceiling at 200 feet, decreasing to 100, much like in New London, and their chances of sighting the runway before reaching the MDA were virtually nil. After descending to a scarily low altitude, the pilots caught sight of several landmarks and managed to navigate to the runway, landing successfully at about 9:23, one hour behind schedule. Sicher said he reconnected with King during the 40th anniversary of the event and the two have stayed in touch ever since. Please support this channel by following me on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/allecibayAllegheny Airlines Flight 737 was a Convair CV-580 (aircraft registrat. This new flight plan also allowed him to fly a more direct route to New London, saving even more fuel. The Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A) was established in Geneva in 1990 for the purpose to deal with all information related to aviation accidentology. Flight International. At 20:08:47 the flight reported that they were doing the procedure turn inbound for runway 32 and Bradford FSS told them wind was 290 degrees at 15 knots. High 48F. Failure of the electrical system due to an improperly installed heater on part of the ground technicians. The airplane cut a swath through the trees and impacted the ground at a point 800 feet from the initial tree contact. When near the threshold the captain initiated a go-around from a low altitude and entered rain of increasing intensity. The crash of flight 485 was in fact the airlines fourth fatal accident in less than three years, including two crashes at Pennsylvanias Bradford Regional Airport within a two week period in December 1968 and January 1969. Tragically, 20 people lost their lives that night, but through dedicated emergency personnel at the crash site and staff at the Bradford Hospital, 27 survived. Except this plane would become the infamous Allegheny Airlines flight 853 that crashed en route from Boston to St. Louis in 1969. Suddenly, Walker spotted the dark form of a building dead ahead, looming out of the fog like the iceberg to their Titanic. The Convair CV-580 took off from Erie at 19:46. [4], The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was unable to determine the probable cause of the crash. Allegheny Airlines Flight 737 was a scheduled passenger flight from Washington, DC, to Detroit, MI, with en route stops at Harrisburg, Bradford, and Erie, PA. Sadly, her father, whom she was traveling with to their home in Camp Hill, died in the accident. Nevertheless, the policy was indicative of a company culture which perhaps placed too much value on completing the mission on time. So why would a trained pilot behave in this manner? As they came in over the water, First Officer Walker could see the sea of fog below them, and he didnt like their chances. Brown said the chopping was cumbersome as the airplane had approximately three skins of metal which covered tubing and wiring. They got (the survivors) out of the front there was an area part way back in the plane that was jammed and they could not get back in there. Were right over the water, he said. A pilot in the terminal restaurant said that when the aircraft left the parking ramp, he saw about 1/2 to 1 in. Convair, a now-defunct aerospace manufacturing company, built the aircraft type as a potential replacement for the Douglas DC-3. The flight was uneventful until it arrived in the Bradford area, about 20:22. "World Airline Directory". Three occupants survived while 28 others were killed. Third, people do still care - or at least, they should. SHELBY CO. A memorial service was held Monday to remember the people who lost their lives in what remains Indiana's worst commercial airline disaster. In fact, he knew that if he could get to New Haven quickly, he might save enough fuel to make up the difference, allowing him to fly from there to Philadelphia legally. Acetylene torches werent used, however, for fear the airplane fuel would ignite or explode. They are: Detroit Erie Bradford Harrisburg Washington DC. Memorial page dedicated to the passengers and crew of Allegheny Flight 371 which crashed near Williamsport, Pa on. Those principles would not be fully developed until the late 1970s, but the seeds of inspiration can nevertheless be seen in the report on flight 485. Looking back 50 years later, it is hard to understand how we tolerated such unchecked bloodshed. Like many crashes in its day, Allegheny Airlines flight 485 was treated as another drop in the bucket, an article on the deaths of 28 people on a Connecticut beach barely squeezing onto the bottom of the front page of the New York Times. Past the runway end, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest against a metallic tower supporting the approach light system. Investigations were unable to determine precisely the probable cause of this accident. 303 North Main Street, Port Allegany, PA 16743. Low around 35F. Because of the inclement weather and ill-equipped airports served by the airline, this forced the cancellation of nearly 10% of all Allegheny flights during the following week, a fairly disastrous result which may in fact have convinced pilots that the only way to keep planes on schedule was to violate the limits. The only survivor of the. The Clarksburg approach controller said that he saw Flight 561 as it turned to line up for takeoff on runway 21. With the single flight attendant and some 34 passengers on board, flight 485 taxied away from the gate at Washington, D.C. right on schedule at about a quarter after 7:00. The main reason so many people died was because the flight attendant was incapacitated and could not open the door, forcing passengers to try to open it themselves in near total darkness. The number of reasons this crash would not happen today are too numerous to list, and even if it did happen, improved crashworthiness and flammability requirements, emergency exit lighting, and other innovations would probably ensure the survival of most or all of the passengers. However, the Federal Aviation Administration had a policy of granting exemptions to this rule on aircraft with fewer than 51 passenger seats if the airline could show there would be no impact on operations or safety. [1] The flight crew consisted of Captain William I. Blanton Jr. (33), and First Officer Ronald Lesiak (31). Based on the cockpit voice recording, it was clear that First Officer Walker was not happy with the way the flight was being conducted. He also ignored a company directive which forbid landing at New Haven with a tailwind. My mother had called me (at a friends) and said, My God, a plane crashed at the airport and your father went out there.. The analysis of the authority gradient explained why the first officer didnt intervene, but to explain why the captain flew in such a dangerous manner in the first place, the NTSB found it useful to look not just at the fatal approach to New Haven, but at everything he did that day. Instead, he had to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair, his career gone forever, always wondering whether he could have done more. He also stated that he saw no snow blow off the aircraft during its takeoff roll. Before the captain started the engines for taxiing, the station agent asked him if he wanted the aircraft deiced again, since it was still snowing. Allegheny Airlines Flight 736 departed Detroit, MI for a flight to Washington, DC with intermediate stops at Erie, Bradford and Harrisburg, PA. Shane Collins has done research and, using GPS, located the spot where Flight 371 crashed into Bald Eagle Mountain, across the Susquehanna River from Montoursville. By the 1970s, Allegheny Airlines had over 40 CV-580s in its fleet, which could be seen at regional airports all over the Northeast. In order to probe these attitudes further, the NTSB interviewed other Allegheny Airlines pilots about what they would do in a similar situation. He also radioed the same weather to Flight 561 when it was taxiing for takeoff. In one account of the girls rescue, an exhausted, injured King was able to muster the strength and thoughtfulness to tell her rescuers, Merry Christmas as they pulled her from the wreckage. at approximately 2012 e.s.t., while executing an instrument approach to Runway 32 at the Bedford Regional Airport, Bradford, Pennsylvania. It turned out that Tweed-New Haven Airport had been trying to install an instrument landing system, which would help guide planes down to the runway in low visibility, for several years prior to the crash. In a better world, First Officer Walker would have been granted the confidence to say this isnt safe, taking the controls and steering the plane away from its fiery end in the nick of time. At 7:14 a.m. on June 7, 1971, Allegheny Airlines Flight 485 departed Washington D.C. bound for Trumbull Airport, (Today known as Groton-New London Airport) in Connecticut. "Of some 13 potential causes examined by the Board, three remain after final analysis. Little did he know that locally heavier fog over the water had reduced visibility to practically nil, baiting him into descending much lower than he had expected. Both pilots and 9 passengers were killed while 17 other occupants were injured. The CV-580 was a modified version of the older, 1950s-era Convair CV-240, with its original piston engines having been swapped for more powerful Allison turboprop engines, vastly increasing its performance. Suburban Airlines was originally headquartered at the Reading Airport in Reading, Pennsylvania, and flew a large fleet of Short 330s and Short 360s, being the launch customer for the Short 360. Many nurses and other physicians were called in, too. All 16 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. There was no exception for cases when the captain was operating the airplane in a clearly unsafe manner.