Incident Overview
Date: Friday 27 March 1953
Aircraft Type: Douglas R5D-1 (DC-4)
Owner/operator: California Eastern Airways
Registration Number: N229A
Location: off San Fransisco, CA, USA –
ÿ Pacific Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Component Affected: NozzleNozzle
Category: Accident
A DC-4 aircraft, N229A, experienced a catastrophic engine failure during a flight to Honolulu. The engine failure resulted in a rapid pressure drop, leading to a diversion to San Francisco. The aircraft subsequently lost power and crashed off the coast of San Francisco, sustaining significant damage and requiring a ditching.A DC-4 aircraft, N229A, experienced a catastrophic engine failure during a flight to Honolulu. The engine failure resulted in a rapid pressure drop, leading to a diversion to San Francisco. The aircraft subsequently lost power and crashed off the coast of San Francisco, sustaining significant damage and requiring a ditching.
Description
DC-4 N229A departed Travis AFB at 22:20 PST for a flight to Honolulu; cruising altitude 8000 feet. At 01:55 PST the no. 4 engine backfired and the oil pressured dropped to 40 lb PSI. The prop was feathered and the crew elected to divert to San Francisco. At 02:50 PST the no. 3 engine lost manifold pressure and this propeller was also feathered. Altitude could no longer be maintained and a ditching was carried out off San Francisco. The aircraft stayed afloat for about 5 and a half hours.
Primary Cause
Engine failure of the no. 4 engine.Engine failure of the no. 4 engine.Share on:
