 NC16008, the aircraft involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 15, 1943 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due toicing |
| Site | Centerville, Tennessee 35°47′18″N87°27′21″W / 35.78833°N 87.45583°W /35.78833; -87.45583 |
 | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-3-178 |
| Aircraft name | Flagship Missouri |
| Operator | American Airlines |
| Registration | NC16008 |
| Flight origin | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 1st stopover | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2nd stopover | Dayton, Ohio |
| 3rd stopover | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 4th stopover | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Last stopover | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Destination | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Occupants | 11 |
| Passengers | 8 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 11 |
| Survivors | 0 |
American Airlines Flight 63 was anAmerican AirlinesDC-3 nicknamed theFlagship Missouri that crashed on October 15, 1943, nearCenterville, Tennessee, afterice formed on its wings and propeller. All eight passengers and three crewmembers died.[1] This was the second fatal crash of an aircraft designated Flight 63, occurring2+1⁄2 months after the crash of theFlagship Missouri’s sister ship, theFlagship Ohio.
American Airlines Flight 63 serviced a 6-leg domestic passenger service between Cleveland, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee. The full routing of the flight wasCleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati-Louisville-Nashville-Memphis.[1] Up until July 28, 1943, this route was serviced by theFlagship Missouri's sister ship, theFlagship Ohio. TheFlagship Ohiowas lost on the Louisville-Nashville leg of the flight, when the severedowndrafts of a nearby thunderstorm forced the DC-3 to crash into a field nearTrammel, Kentucky.[citation needed]
After the loss of theFlagship Ohio, theFlagship Missouri covered Flight 63. TheFlagship Missouri was aDC-3 built by theDouglas Aircraft Company forAmerican Airlines. It had been in service for seven years, since 1936, and had logged a total of 17,774 hours of flight time at the time of the crash.[1] The three crewmembers were Captain Dale F. Dryer, pilot, First Officer W. J. Brand, and one stewardess.[2]
Flight 63 departed fromCleveland, Ohio, at 5:56 pm, 17 minutes behind schedule. The stops atColumbus,Dayton,Cincinnati, andLouisville were also delayed. By the time the flight departedNashville, it was running 1 hour, 38 minutes late.[1]
Departure from Nashville proceeded normally, and the pilot radioed toair traffic control (ATC) that he had reached an altitude of 6,000 feet (1,800 m) at 10:59 PM. At 11:06 PM, the flight requested and received permission from Nashville ATC to climb to 8,000 feet (2,400 m).[1] Ice which had formed on the wings and propellers of the aircraft made it impossible for the aircraft to maintain altitude. The plane gradually lost altitude until it crashed into a forested hill that rose up 75 feet (23 m) above the surrounding terrain.[1]
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the plane "circled desperately" in search of a safe landing place before plummeting into a deep gulch.[2] Local woodsmen observed the plane's landing attempts and later heard the crash, but were unable to summon help or report it due to the lack of telephones in the area. The wreckage was discovered the following morning by woodcutter John Durison.[2]
TheCivil Aeronautics Board investigated the crash and determined that ice that had formed on the propeller or wings made it impossible for the pilot to control the altitude of the aircraft.
Inability of the aircraft to gain or maintain altitude due to carburetor ice or propeller ice or wing ice of some combination of these icing conditions while over terrain and in weather unsuitable for an emergency landing.... Weather conditions which, had their nature been anticipated, should have precluded the dispatch of the flight in an aircraft not equipped with wing or propeller deicing equipment.
— Civil Aeronautics Board, CAB File No. 4889-43
The ten passengers included two captains and an aviation cadet, as well as a Texan and four Tennessee residents.[2]
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