Clash over key west

Douglas DC-4

The Douglas C-54A-15-DC Skymaster ^{[* 1]} with serial number 10368 was released at the Douglas factory in Chicago , Illinois in August 1944. On August 7, the aircraft arrived at the customer - the American Air Force , where it was operated under tail number 42-72263. After the end of military events, on June 24, 1946, the aircraft returned to the manufacturer, having by that time an operating time of 1970 hours. There, he was soon converted into a civilian version - DC-4, after which on April 11, 1947 they were sold under Pan number N88925 to the American Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra), a subsidiary of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), where he entered in few days. On January 22, 1948, the N88925 board passed to Pan Am itself, and on April 1 of the same, 1948, it was sold to Cuba by the national airline Compania Cubana de Aviacion, SA , also known simply as Cubana . In Cuba, the airliner underwent re-registration, as a result of which the tail number changed to CU-P188, and also received the name Estrella de Cuba . After 4 months (August 1), the tail number changed to CU-T188 (there is also the CU-T-188 variant). The total operating time of the aircraft was 13,218 hours ^{[1] [2] [3]} .

His flight crew (in the cockpit) consisted of three people ^{[4] [3]} :

• The aircraft commander is 50-year-old Javier S. Bazan ( Spanish: Javier Z. Bazan ), who has been with Cubana since September 2, 1938. His total flight experience was 12,158 hours, including 1,317 hours on DC-4 aircraft and 370 hours on instrument flight ;
• The co - pilot is the 29-year-old Jesus F. Pacheco ( Spanish Jesus F. Pacheco ), who has been with Cubana since October 13, 1941. Its total flight experience was 4557 hours, including 2791 hours on DC-4 aircraft;
• The inspector is Orlando S. Fernandez ( Spanish: Orlando S. Fernandez ) - the senior pilot of Cubana Airlines, who worked in it from December 1, 1935, in his position - from March 19, 1949. Its total flight experience was 9451 hours, including 363 hours on DC-4 aircraft.

Two stewards worked in the cabin: Pablo Aureliano Nestor Valencia ( Spanish. Pablo Aureliano Nestor Valencia ) and Pedro Martenesmoles ( Spanish. Pedro Martenezmoles ) ^[4] .

Beechcraft Kansan

The twin-engine Beechcraft SNB-5 Kansan ^{[* 2]} with tail number 39939 (serial number 3671 ^[5] , call signs 939) from the US Navy had a total time of 993 hours, and its crew piloted as follows ^{[6] [3 ]} :

• Instructor - Lieutenant Robert Lawler Stuart ( born Robert Lowler Stuart, );
• Intern - Midshipman Francis Lavelle Ready ( born Francis Lavelle Ready );
• Intern - Ensign Eugene Samuel Bardsley ( born Eugene Samuel Bardsley );
• Radio operator - Alfred Leroy Gasser ( born Alfred Leroy Gasser ).

On that day, the Cuban Douglas operated a regular passenger flight CU-493 from Miami (USA) to Havana (Cuba), and at 10:23 ^{[* 3] the} crew submitted through the office of Pan Am airline, which was Cubana’s representative in the USA, to the Miami Air Traffic Control Center request for a flight to Havana at a level of 6000 feet (1800 m ). Further, while waiting for its turn for takeoff, the crew received permission from the take-off and landing controller to fly to Havana at an altitude of 4000 feet (1200 m ) and a recommendation to perform visual flight at this altitude until permission is granted for further climb, since the echelon is 6000 feet (1800 m) ) was still busy with another plane. At 11:09 with 34 passengers and 5 crew members on board, flight 493 flew from Miami Airport ^[4] .

At 11:14, a call was received from the Miami Dispatch Center to the Pan Am office that Cubana Flight 493 was given permission to rise and be 4,000 feet high. A Pan Am spokesman handed this permission over to the Cuban crew at 11:19, when he reported a flight altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m ) and an estimated Key West travel time at 11:48, after which he reported a lift from 2000 to 4,000 feet. This was the last known message from the CU-T188 ^[4] .

A minute later, at 11:20 at the Key West naval airfield requested permission to take off the Beechcraft SNB-5 aboard 39939. The aircraft was supposed to carry out a training flight with testing instruments. Following the 250 ° magnetic course at a speed of 140 knots, you should go east of the Key West radio beacon, after confirming the passage of which turn west with a decrease and following the 279 ° course, slow down to 105 knots, then release the chassis and drop to 1300 feet (400 m ) simulating an instrument approach approach ^[4] . Lieutenant Robert Stewart sat in his left armchair (of the commander), and warrant officer Francis Reedy sat in his right. At 11:26 a plane with 4 crew members on board took off, after which the crew switched to the frequency of marine rescue aircraft in accordance with the flight plan. At 11:28, the SNB-5 contacted the ground-based intercepting radio station, performing normal negotiations, without informing about its location and altitude. It was the last known broadcast with an onboard 39939 ^[6] .

Around 11:48, eyewitnesses on the ground watched DC-4, which followed at an altitude of about 4000 feet (1200 m ) at 223 °. At about the same time, SNB was observed east of Key West and followed a course of 250 °. At 11:49 a.m., the Cuban airliner flew 1.6 miles (2.6 km ) west of Key West southbound when a military plane crashed into it to the left in the middle of a clear sky. As a result of the collision, Beechcraft immediately collapsed into the water, while the Douglas still continued to fly. The crew tried to save their plane and people, but the airliner began to enter the left bank, which soon reached a critical value. With his nose down, the ship crashed into the water about 1.7 miles (2.7 km ) southwest of the point of collision, after which it sank at a depth of 25 feet (7.6 m ) ^[6] .

At 11:50, Key West airfield duty officer was notified that a catastrophe had occurred nearby. About which planes crashed, it became clear only at 12:00, after which a rescue operation was launched. The search was conducted for 7 days, but not a single survivor was found. All 43 people on both planes (39 on DC-4 and 4 on SNB) were killed. A total of 41 bodies were found: 2 with SNB and all 39 with DC-4 ^[6] .

During the search, both aircraft were found, after which they also combed the bottom in a radius of 500 yards (460 m ) around each of them, as well as where, as witnesses pointed out, individual units fell. The search was attended by 20 divers who spent a total of 680 hours under water. 88% of the DC-4 structure and 80% of the SNB structure were raised, after which the wreckage was placed for study at a distance of about 548 yards (501 m ) from the coast and west of the military base. Quickly enough, it was possible to determine the relative position of the aircraft at the time of the first strike, since on the left wing of the passenger plane there were traces of impact by the blades of the right propeller of a military aircraft. Air courses intersected at an angle of about 110 ° ^[6] .

Flight 493 from Miami to Key West was to follow a 223 ° course, then turn to a 197 ° course and continue flying to Havana. The weight and alignment of both aircraft were within acceptable limits. Since the military crew performed a training flight, there was a special orange shutter from the trainee's side, which closed the front view, but at the same time allowed observation through the side windows. The weather conditions at the time of the incident were good: individual clouds with a lower limit of 2600 feet (790 m ), air temperature 81 ° F (27 ° C) , dew point 68 ° F (20 ° C) , northeast wind 13 knots, visibility 15 miles (24 km ). Although according to meteorological observations at 11:24 and 12:25, there were separate clouds in the sky, the crew of National Airlines flight 457 reported that when it passed Key West at 11:41, the sky was clear and visibility was unlimited. The sun at this time was already high enough (76.9 °) and therefore could not blind the pilots ^[7] .

Although there were no witnesses who could see the Cuban plane turning on a new course, at the time of the collision he probably already managed to take a course to Havana. The American plane a minute before the collision followed a course of 250 °, that is, it had already made a turn to the west and could now carry out an instrumental approach approach. Since the witnesses of the incident did not observe that at least one of the aircraft tried to evade, it is possible that the crews did not notice each other, or noticed, but it was too late to avoid a collision ^{[7] [8]} .

The cause of the disaster was the mistake of both crews, which did not show sufficient vigilance when performing visual flights and did not prevent a collision ^[8] .

Also, Commission Chairman Donald William Nirope sent a letter to the US Federal Aviation Administration with a proposal to amend the current regulations on air traffic control for aircraft, following the rules of visual flights ^[8] .

Comments

Sources

• COMPANIA CUBANA DE AVIACION, SA AND US NAVY, KEY WEST, FLORIDA, APRIL 25, 1951 (English) (link not available) . Civil Aviation Council (October 17, 1951). Date of treatment May 26, 2015. Archived May 30, 2015.

• Description of the incident on the Aviation Safety Network