Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 12 December 1956
Aircraft Type: Lockheed 18-14 Lodestar
Owner/operator: Phillips Petroleum Company
Registration Number: N28366
Location: 11 km SE of Bartlesville Airport, OK (BVO) – ÿ United States of America
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Component Affected: PropellerPropeller
Investigating Agency: CABCAB
Category: Accident
Narrative
A flight experienced a sudden and catastrophic spin to the ground due to loss of flying speed during single-engine flight. The pilot reported engine trouble, overheating oil, and inability to unfeather the propeller, leading to a cancellation of the IFR flight plan and a decision to continue to Tulsa. The aircraft was impacted by rolling terrain at a heading of approximately 240 degrees, with the wings level and nose-down angle close to vertical. An explosion and intense fire occurred.A flight experienced a sudden and catastrophic spin to the ground due to loss of flying speed during single-engine flight. The pilot reported engine trouble, overheating oil, and inability to unfeather the propeller, leading to a cancellation of the IFR flight plan and a decision to continue to Tulsa. The aircraft was impacted by rolling terrain at a heading of approximately 240 degrees, with the wings level and nose-down angle close to vertical. An explosion and intense fire occurred.

Description

About 14 minutes after takeoff, at approximately 08:40, the co-pilot called Bartlesville Radio and stated that the flight was having engine trouble, with an oil temperature over 100 degrees, and requested that the IFR flight plan be cancelled as they might return. At 08:45, the co-pilot again stated that they could not unfeather the propeller. Bartlesville’s single 4,600-foot runway had patches of snow and ice while all runways at Tulsa Airport were clear, so the pilot decided to continue to Tulsa. Heading for Tulsa, the aircraft was seen to plunge to earth in a spin. Impact with the rolling terrain was on a heading of about 240 degrees, while the wings were about level, and while the nose-down angle was close to vertical. An explosion and intense fire ensued. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was loss of flying speed during single-engine flight for reasons undetermined. resulting in a spin to the ground.”

Primary Cause

Loss of flying speed during single-engine flight.Loss of flying speed during single-engine flight.

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