Page:CAB Accident Report, Capital Airlines Flight 983.pdf/1

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CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

ADOPTED: June 6, 1960

Capital AIRLINES LOCKHEED CONSTELLATION,

N 2735A, KANAWHA COUNTY AIRPORT

CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA MAY 12, 1959

Capital Airlines Flight 983 of May 12, 1959, a Constellation model 1-049, 2132A, following & Landing at 1529 e.s.t., on a wet runway, was intentionally ground looped and during the maneuver skidded and slid down a steep embankment beyond the boundary of the airport at Charleston, West Virginia. One of the 38 passengers and one of the six crew members died in the fire which followed; one passenger was seriously burned and all others on board the aircraft escaped with little or no injury; the aircraft was destroyed.

The aircraft was landed within the first third of the runway and the captain said that finding braking to be ineffective, he chose to ground loop the aircraft rather than risk going down a sharp declivity at the far end of the runway. The aircraft left the runway about 600 feet from the far end.

Investigation revealed operational deficiencies in the conduct of the sp-proach and touchdown, and that crew coordination throughout the emergency was poor. Because of crew statements, the brakes were believed to have been capable of functioning in a normal manner; however, water on the runway would have permitted the aircraft to aquaplane and thus make them ineffective.

Investigation

Capital Airlines Flight 983 of May 12, 1959, originated in Washington, D. Cos with its destination Atlanta, Georgia, and with intermediate stops at Rochester and Buffalo, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Charleston, West Virginia. The flight departed Washington at 0957 and was routine to Buffalo.

At Buffalo a scheduled crew change was made. The new crew consisted of Cap-trin R. Ohn, First Officer C Spoth, Flight Engineer Howanski, Flight Enginger-Traines B. J. Morrison, and Hostesses N. P. Marshall and E. Viera. Flight 983 departed Buffelo at 1244 and flew direct to the Greater Pittsburgh Airport, arriving there at 1347.

The flight departed Pittsburgh at 1433 and was cleared to Charlagton on an IFR (instrument flight rules) flight plan to the Kanawha County Airport at Charleston via Old Concord intersection to cross the 260-degree radial of Pittsburgh omni at 3,000 and to maintain 5,000 via 193-degree radial of Imperial amni.