Page:Aviation Accident Report - TWA Flight 6 - 3 August 1935.pdf/1



To the Director of Air Commerce:

On August 3, 1935 at about 12:55 a. m. approximately 30 miles East of Albuquerque, New Mexico, an airplane of United States registry, piloted by a licensed airman, while being operated in scheduled flight carrying passengers and United States mail, was forced to land with resultant destruction of the aircraft, but no serious injuries to the passengers or crew.

The plane, a Douglas, model DC-2, bore Department of Commerce license number NC-13722 and was being operated by Transcontinental and Western Air between Los Angeles, California, and Newark, New Jersey, with scheduled stops at Albuquerque, Amarillo, Kansas City, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. The pilot, Clifford V. Abbott, held a Department of Commerce transport pilot's licence and a scheduled air transport rating. The co-pilot, W. W. Jones also held a Department of Commerce transport pilot's licence and a scheduled air transport rating.

The passengers were H. B. Bowen, C. J. Wheeler, H. Buckner, Steve Hannigan, Father Walter Plimmer, Murray Blank, L. A. McDonald, G. A. Hallquit and T. F. Whipps.

After refueling, this trip, known as flight 6, took off from Albuquerque at 12:31 a. m. The pilot climbed to an altitude of 9300 feet where he changed the propeller settings from low to high pitch and switched from the emergency tank of 67 octane fuel used while taking off to the left main tank of 80 octane fuel used for cruising.

Shortly after this, while at an altitude of 9500 feet, the left engine stopped and immediately after, the right engine stopped. The pilot immediately changed back to the emergency tank with the assistance of the co-pilot attempted to get the engines started again by pumping the throttles and using the wibble pump. This was continued until the plane had lost so much altitude that an emergency landing could not be avoided. The pilot then dropped two flares, seeking a landing field, and by the aid of a third flare, dropped by a plane which had come to his assistance, succeeded in effecting an emergency landing.

The country in which this landing was effected is covered with a dense growth of scrub pine trees growing to heights of 15 to 20 fee. The ground is rolling with considerable rock formationformations [sic] making the general surface fairly rough. There were several small open pastures in the vicinity and the plane came to rest in one of these after having cut a swath through surrounding trees. The left wing apparently becarebecame [sic] entangled in the trees pulling the plane down. The nose then apparently plowed through a clump of trees while headed approximately opposite to the direction of approach. 337