1955 Cincinnati mid-air collision

Fatal plane crash over northern Kentucky February 2025 January 12, 1955 Mid-air collision Accident Boone County, Kentucky 15 0 Martin 2-0-2A Martin 202A, Trans World Airlines (TWA) JP5958136.jpg A Trans World Airlines Martin 2-0-2 similar to the one involved in this accident TWA N93211 Boone County Airport Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport 13 10 3 13 0 Douglas DC-3 Douglas DC-3C cold start.jpg A Douglas DC-3C similar to the accident aircraft Castleton Inc. N999B Battle Creek Lexington, Kentucky 2 0 2 2 0 The 1955 Cincinnati mid-air collision occurred on January 12, 1955, when Trans World Airlines Flight 694 Martin 2-0-2 on takeoff from Boone County Airport (now the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport) collided in mid-air with a privately owned Douglas DC-3 that had entered the airport's control space without proper clearance. None of the occupants of either plane survived the collision. Aircraft and crews The TWA plane, flown by Captain J. W. Quinn and co-pilot Robert K. Childress, with air hostess (flight attendant) Patricia Ann Stermer, was a regularly scheduled flight bound for Dayton, Ohio, en route to Cleveland. Ten passengers were aboard.Lebanon Daily News, Monday, January 12, 1955The Holland Evening Sentinel, Monday, January 12, 1955 The DC-3 was piloted by Arthur "Slim" Werkhaven of Sturgis, Michigan, with co-pilot Edward Agner of Battle Creek, Michigan, and was being flown from Battle Creek en route to Lexington, Kentucky. They were to pick up Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick Van Lennep. Mrs. Van Lennep, the former Frances Dodge, was an officer of the firm that owned the plane and founded the Dodge Stables at Meadow Brook Farm, later moving Dodge Stables to Castleton Farm in Lexington. The plane would have carried the Van Lenneps to Delray Beach, Florida. Collision and crash The Martin 2-0-2A had just taken off from the airport on Runway 22 and was climbing in a right turn through a cloud base at 700–900 ft when the collision occurred about 9:00 am.The Daily (Illinois) Register, Monday, January 12, 1955 The DC-3 was en route from Michigan flying VFR heading roughly south towards Lexington. The right wing of Flight 694 struck the left wing of the DC-3, which caused the right wing of the Martin to separate and the DC-3 experienced fuselage, rudder, and fin damage. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed out of control, hitting the ground about two miles apart. The wreckage of one of the aircraft fell along Hebron-Limaburg Road, two miles northeast of Burlington, Kentucky. The crash had no survivors from either aircraft. Aftermath The control tower, operated by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), reported that it had no record of a flight plan for either aircraft. A CAA spokesman said that radio messages from the TWA plane shortly after takeoff indicated the pilot was "alarmed and excited".The Middletown Journal, January 12, 1955 The spokesman also said the pilot was cleared for takeoff and to make a right turn out. TWA later filed a $2 million damage suit against the Castleton Corporation of Kentucky.Aviation Daily, American Aviation Publications, 1955 The probable cause was determined to be operating the DC-3 in a controlled zone with unknown traffic, i.e. no clearance received and no communication with the airport tower.CAA Report See also Aviation safety List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft References 2 External links AirDisaster.com Accident Database 19550112-0 TWA flight 19550112-1 Castleton flight 1955 TWA Martin 2-0-2 crash Flight 694/383/128 Aviation Memorial Grove 39 02 56 N 84 40 04 W type:event_region:US-KY title Category:1955 in Kentucky Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Kentucky Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Kentucky Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by pilot error Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1955 Category:Mid-air collisions involving airliners Category:Mid-air collisions involving general aviation aircraft Category:Mid-air collisions in the United States Category:Trans World Airlines accidents and incidents Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-3 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Martin 2-0-2 Category:Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Category:January 1955 in the United Kingdom Category:Transportation in Boone County, Kentucky