Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 27 August 1931
Aircraft Type: Sikorsky S.41B
Owner/operator: Boston-Maine Airways
Registration Number: NC41V
Location: off Gloucester, MA –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 13
Component Affected: Sikorsky S.41B aircraft pontoon.Sikorsky S.41B aircraft pontoon.
Category: Accident
A Sikorsky S.41B amphibian aircraft, operating from Halifax, Canada to Boston, USA, experienced a forced landing in thick fog off Gloucester, Massachusetts, following a weather report indicating clear skies and fair visibility. The pilot, during a stop in Portland, Maine, initiated a forced landing at sea due to the arrival of a heavy fog. The aircraft sustained damage during landing, resulting in a hole in the left pontoon. Passengers evacuated from the wing, and a fishing schooner rescued only one occupant.A Sikorsky S.41B amphibian aircraft, operating from Halifax, Canada to Boston, USA, experienced a forced landing in thick fog off Gloucester, Massachusetts, following a weather report indicating clear skies and fair visibility. The pilot, during a stop in Portland, Maine, initiated a forced landing at sea due to the arrival of a heavy fog. The aircraft sustained damage during landing, resulting in a hole in the left pontoon. Passengers evacuated from the wing, and a fishing schooner rescued only one occupant.
Description
A Sikorsky S.41B amphibian sank after making a forced landing in thick fog off Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA. The aircraft operated on a flight from Halifax, Canada, to Boston, USA. During an intermediate stop at Portland, Maine, the pilot received a weather report for the leg to Boston, which read: “clear with fair visibility”. After passing Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a heavy fog bank came rolling in. The pilot descended to maintain visual contact with the ground and ultimately decided to perform a forced landing at sea. After touchdown a hole was torn in the left pontoon. The occupants evacuated on top of the wing. A fishing schooner rescued all but one of the occupants. The aircraft sank.
Primary Cause
Severe weather conditions, specifically a heavy fog bank, caused the pilot to initiate a forced landing.Severe weather conditions, specifically a heavy fog bank, caused the pilot to initiate a forced landing.Share on:
