Page:CAB Accident Report, Pacific Air Lines Flight 308.pdf/1

 File No.1-0033

CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

ADOPTED: August 23, 1960

PACIFIC AIR LINES, INC, DOUGLAS DC—3, N 67589,

SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 26, 1959.

A Pacific Air Lines DC—3, N 67589, crashed near the Santa Maria Airport, Santa Maria, California, while making an emergency landing following takeoff at approximately 2018 P. s. t. 17., October, 26, 1959. The copilot was killed, the captain was seriously injured, and the purser and 17 passengers received injuries of varying degrees. The aircraft was substantially damaged.

Flight 308 was scheduled between Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with intermediate stops at Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Paso Robles, California. The trip to Oxnard and Santa Maria was routine. Takeoff from Santa Maria was made from runway 30 with 17 passengers on board and a crew of three. A few seconds after the first power reduction following takeoff, a loud explosion was heard and fire was seen in the left engine. The left propeller was immediately feathered, the engine was shut off, and appropriate power was applied to the right engine. At the time this happened the aircraft was at an approximate altitude of 550 feet m. s. l., or 300 feet above the ground. Shortly after this the fire was observed to be out; however, the airplane began to buffet. This buffeting became so severe that the aircraft lost altitude and the captain was forced to make an emergency landing about 1-1/2 miles north of the airport.

The Board concludes that this accident was caused by the failure of the No. 5 cylinder of the left engine in flight, resulting in the distortion of the ring cowling to an extent that made flight impassable.

Investigation

On October 26, 1959, N 67589, a Douglas DC-3, owned and operated by Pacific Air Lines, was dispatched by the company as Flight 308, a scheduled flight between Los Angeles and San Francisco Intermediate scheduled stops were to be made at Oxnard, Santa Maria, and Paso Robles, California. The crew consisted of Captain Charles W. Craig, First Officer Joseph J. Flanigan, and Purser Donald F. Robesky. First Officer Flanigan was acting as captain and riding in the left seat throughout the flight.

The flight from Los Angeles to Oxnard and Santa Maria was made without incident. Flight 308 landed at Santa Maria at 1945 and passengers and

USCOW—DC