1955 MacArthur Airport United Airlines crash

On April 4, 1955, a United Airlines Douglas DC-6 named Mainliner Idaho crashed shortly after taking off from Long Island MacArthur Airport. The flight was operated for the purpose of maintaining the currency of the instrument rating of two of the airline’s pilots. All three members of the flight crew were killed upon impact. A subsequent investigation found a simulated engine failure procedure was being conducted, which involved a member of the crew pulling back the throttle lever for engine No. 4 prior to taking off. If the throttle. lever was pulled back too far, it would cause the propeller to reverse.

About 1955 MacArthur Airport United Airlines crash in brief

On April 4, 1955, a United Airlines Douglas DC-6 named Mainliner Idaho crashed shortly after taking off from Long Island MacArthur Airport. The flight was operated for the purpose of maintaining the currency of the instrument rating of two of the airline’s pilots. All three members of the flight crew were killed upon impact. A subsequent investigation found a simulated engine failure procedure was being conducted, which involved a member of the crew pulling back the throttle lever for engine No. 4 prior to taking off. Investigators found that if the throttle. lever was pulled back too far, it would cause the propeller to reverse—a. feature designed to slow the aircraft upon landing. Because the blades were reversed and the flag was not raised, that increased the reverse thrust from No. 4 engine, causing the DC- 6 to spiral out of control. In the aftermath of the accident, the Civil Aeronautics Administration issued an Airworthiness Directive ordering all DC-4 and DC-5B aircraft to be fitted with a manual device which could prevent the inadvertent reversal of the propellers. The aircraft was a DouglasDC-6, registration N37512, serial number 43001. The airframe had flown 22,068 flying hours, and had undergone an inspection 105 hours before the accident. It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R2800-CB16 engines, fitted with Hamilton Standard 43E60-317 propellers and had been in service for 549 hours. The takeoff weight was around 61,000 pounds, far below the aircraft’s maximum permissible weight and the center of gravity was within the prescribed limits for the model of aircraft.

Between 1,500 feet and 1,800 feet down the runway, the aircraft reached take-off speed, lifted off the ground, and began climbing normally as the crew retracted the landing gear. Upon climbing through 50 feet, the aircraft began banking to the right. The climbing bank continued to increase at a rate which alarmed witnesses, and soon after the aircraft rolled through 90°. At a height of around 150 feet, with four engines producing thrust, the right wing began to fall. Moments later, the nose of the aircraft came to rest, with the fuselage to cartwheel over, before the correct side up up. The plane was immediately engulfed in flames. Although emergency services responded to the crash, the wreckage was destroyed by the post-crash fire. Investigators examined the charred engines and concluded all four engines were producing power at the point of impact. Reports from witnesses indicated the aircraft appeared to have made a normal takeoff and began Climbing to the left, but moments later it began sharply to banking sharply to theRight. The aircraft made several circuits, taking off and landing again, before eyewitnesses observed the aircraft standing at the end of the runway and then taking off at about 15: 50 Eastern Standard Time.

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