Incident Overview
Date: Friday 27 June 1958
Aircraft Type: Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker
Owner/operator: United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: 56-3599
Location: Springfield-Westover AFB, MA (CEF) –
ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Component Affected: FlapsFlaps
Category: Accident
A KC-135 tanker plane carrying four aircraft attempted to set a world speed record on the New York-London route. The third plane, Tanker 56-3599, stalled due to insufficient flap retraction during a near-stall condition, causing it to skid across the Massachusetts Turnpike and subsequently disintegrate in flames. The fourth KC-135 was immediately ready for takeoff.A KC-135 tanker plane carrying four aircraft attempted to set a world speed record on the New York-London route. The third plane, Tanker 56-3599, stalled due to insufficient flap retraction during a near-stall condition, causing it to skid across the Massachusetts Turnpike and subsequently disintegrate in flames. The fourth KC-135 was immediately ready for takeoff.
Description
Four US Air Force KC-135 tanker planes were attempting to set a world speed record New York-London v.v. Tanker 56-3599 was the third plane to depart. After takeoff the airplane apparently stalled because the crew failed to retract the flaps from 40 to 30 degrees during climbout. It skidded across the Massachusetts Turnpike and disintegrated in flames. The fourth KC-135 was ready for takeoff at that moment. This flight was cancelled.
Primary Cause
Insufficient flap retraction during a near-stall condition.Insufficient flap retraction during a near-stall condition.Share on:
