Page:CAB Accident Report, Braniff Airways Flight 542.pdf/1

 W; CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT

WED: Aprll 28, 1961 RElEASED: May 5, 1961

BRANIFF AIRWAYS, INC., LOCKHEED ELECTRA, N 97050, BUFFALO, TEXAS, SE/IﬂEl‘B‘ER “29", 1939

SYNOPSIS

A Braniff Alrways Lockheed ﬂectra, Model L-lBBA, N 97050, broke up 111 flnght and was further destroyed by ground unpact and flre 3.19 mlles east—Southeast of Buffalo, Texas, on September 29, 1959, about 2309 c. s. t. - all occupants, 2? passengers, 31x crew members and one companyr employee, were killed.

Flaght No. Sh2 of September 29, scheduled between Houston, Texas, and New York Internatlonal Alrport, mth stops at Dallas, Texas, and Washington, D. 0., departed the Houston Airport at 2237. The ﬂlght reported to San Antonio Center over the locus VOR at 2305 at an altltude of 15,000 feet. It then made 1ts flnal radio contact with company radlo at 2307.

Structural failure of the alrcraft occured at approximately 2309 whlle on course to the next flx, Trlnldad 1nterSectlon. THeather at the tame and fllght ‘5‘ altltude was good with scattered clouds above 20,000 feet and bath vaslblllty of r10-15 unles. A renew of all records and crew reports mdicated a routlne operatlon from Houston, except that upon departure a terminal strlp on No. 3 propeller was not properly bonded and the No. 3 fuel tank sump pump became 1noperat1ve shortly after takeoff.

The probable cause of th1s accldent was structural fallure of the left mug resultlng from forces generated by undampened propeller whlrl mode.

Investlgatlon The F1 1ght

Flight 5112 departed the ramp at Houston at 2237 33/, 22 mnutes behlnd schedule nth a total of 311 persons :anludlng a. crew of 31x 601151.81}ng of Captam 1.4115011 Elna Stone, Flrst Offlcer Dan Hollowell, Second Offlcer Roland Longhlll, and Stewardesses Alnlyn Harrlson, Betty Busch and Leona Wlnlcler, none of whom survaved. The delayed departure was due to a mechanlcal dlscrepancy 1nvolu1ng No. 3 generator. Thls generator was 1noperat1ve on arrlval of N 97050 at Houston. PI‘ILOI' to departure from Houston the Nos. 3 and h voltage regulators were anterchanged.

Actual gross welght upon departure was calculated at B3, 252 pounds, ancludang 1?,000 pounds of fuel, and was 16, 5MB pounds less than the authorlzed gross welght

3.] All tunes hereln are central standard tlme based on the —2[L—hour clock.

USGOPM—DC —27267