1946 American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crash

Aviation accident in Newfoundland March 2024 AOA Douglas C-54 Flagship New England Accident Stockholm, Bromma, Uppland, Sweden (6925253605).jpg NC90905, sister-ship to the accident aircraft involved 1946 10 03 Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) Near Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada 48 35 57.5664 N 58 23 52.3494 W type:event inline,title Douglas C-54E-5-DO Flagship New England American Overseas Airlines N90904 New York Municipal Airport-LaGuardia Field, New York City, United States (Planned) Gander International Airport, Gander, Newfoundland (Actual) Stephenville-Ernest Harmon AFB, Dominion of Newfoundland Shannon Airport, Shannon, County Clare, Ireland Berlin Tegel Airport, Berlin, Germany 39 31 8 39 0 On October 3, 1946, an American Overseas Airlines (AOA) Douglas C-54 aircraft named Flagship New England crashed soon after take-off from Stephenville, Newfoundland, killing all 39 people on board. It was, at the time, the deadliest aircraft crash on Newfoundland soil.Accident report http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19461003-0 ASN 16 February 2014 Aircraft and occupants Flagship New England was a Douglas C-54E-5-DO military transport aircraft that had been converted to a Douglas DC-4 civilian airliner; and was registered N90904. It had first flown in 1945 and had logged a total of 3,731 flight hours during its career. On 24 October 1945, it was with Flagship New England that American Overseas Airlines (AOA) launched international flight services. On the accident flight, the aircraft carried thirty-one passengers and a crew of eight. Most of the passengers were wives and children of U.S. servicemen stationed in Allied-occupied Germany. Flight and accident At 12:14 PM EST on 2 October, Flagship New England departed New York-LaGuardia Airport for a transatlantic commercial flight to Berlin, with stops in Gander, Newfoundland and Shannon, Ireland. However, poor weather conditions at Gander forced the flight crew to land at Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Stephenville, Newfoundland instead. In order to let the crew rest, the flight stopped at Stephenville for the next twelve hours. At 4:45 AM on 3 October, Flagship New England left the gate and was initially cleared to depart from runway 30; however, apparently unfavorable wind conditions prompted Stephenville Air Traffic Control to clear it for runway 07 instead. Overcast skies blocked out light from the moon and stars, rendering the terrain ahead unlit. Flights departing from runway 07 were supposed to make a right-hand turn immediately after take-off so as to avoid hilly terrain in line with the runway. However, the pilots of Flagship New England instead allowed the aircraft to continue going straight ahead after lifting off. At about 5:03 AM, some seven miles from the end of the runway, the aircraft hit a ridge at an elevation of about 1,160 feet and crashed, killing everyone on board.November 2025 Cause The investigation into the accident indicated the pilots' failure to change course, which led the aircraft across terrain over which sufficient clearance could not be gained, led to the crash. References External links Report of the Civil Aeronautics Board - PDF Category:1946 in Canada Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1946 Category:Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Canada Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-4 Category:1940s in Newfoundland Category:1946 in North America Category:1946 in the British Empire Category:1946 disasters in Canada