Vickers 745D Viscount – N7437

Incident Overview

Date: Sunday 6 April 1958

Aircraft Type: Vickers 745D Viscount

Owner/operator: Capital Airlines

Registration Number: N7437

Location: 0,7 km SW from Freeland-Tri City Airport, MI (MBS) – ÿ United States of America

Phase of Flight: Approach

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 47 / Occupants: 47

Component Affected: Horizontal StabilizerHorizontal Stabilizer

Investigating Agency: CABCAB

Category: Accident

Capital Airlines Flight 67, a Vickers Viscount, crashed shortly after takeoff from Cleveland, Ohio, following a loss of control due to icing conditions while approaching Freeland-Tri City Airport, Michigan. The flight was scheduled for a route involving Detroit, Flint, Tri-City Airport, and Newark Airport, with an intermediate stop in Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland. The flight experienced a significant delay, ultimately originating at Newark Airport. The aircraft was landed at Newark Airport, New Jersey, and subsequently rescheduled to fly from Newark instead of La Guardia. During the flight, the aircraft called Saginaw ATCS, receiving weather observations and runway information. The flight encountered icing conditions, including a reported ceiling of 900 feet, overcast, visibility of 3 miles, light snow showers, and a temperature of 34øF. The aircraft’s approach involved a series of maneuvers, including a left turn onto base leg, a steep bank angle, and a brief period of flight beyond the centerline. The impact resulted in flames and a crash landing. The probable cause was an undetected accretion of ice on the horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in a loss of pitch control.Capital Airlines Flight 67, a Vickers Viscount, crashed shortly after takeoff from Cleveland, Ohio, following a loss of control due to icing conditions while approaching Freeland-Tri City Airport, Michigan. The flight was scheduled for a route involving Detroit, Flint, Tri-City Airport, and Newark Airport, with an intermediate stop in Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland. The flight experienced a significant delay, ultimately originating at Newark Airport. The aircraft was landed at Newark Airport, New Jersey, and subsequently rescheduled to fly from Newark instead of La Guardia. During the flight, the aircraft called Saginaw ATCS, receiving weather observations and runway information. The flight encountered icing conditions, including a reported ceiling of 900 feet, overcast, visibility of 3 miles, light snow showers, and a temperature of 34øF. The aircraft’s approach involved a series of maneuvers, including a left turn onto base leg, a steep bank angle, and a brief period of flight beyond the centerline. The impact resulted in flames and a crash landing. The probable cause was an undetected accretion of ice on the horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in a loss of pitch control.

Description

Capital Airlines flight 67, a Vickers Viscount, crashed following a loss of control due to icing while on approach to Freeland-Tri City Airport, Michigan, USA, killing all 47 occupants. Capital Airlines Flight 67 was scheduled between New York-LaGuardia Airport, and Chicago, Illinois, with intermediate stops at Detroit, Flint, Tri-City Airport (serving Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland), Michigan. N7437, the aircraft to be used on this flight, was flown from Cleveland, Ohio, and, because of weather and field conditions at LaGuardia , was landed at Newark Airport, New Jersey. Accordingly, Flight 67 was rescheduled to originate at Newark instead of La Guardia. The flight departed Newark at 19:16, 1 hour and 16 minutes late. The trip to Flint was routine; the aircraft landed there at 22:37. Flight 67 departed Flint for Tri-City Airport at 23:02 and was to be flown in accordance with an IFR clearance at a cruising altitude of 3600 feet. While en route the flight called Saginaw ATCS (Air Traffic Communication Station) and was given the local 23:00 weather observation and the runway in use, No. 5. The Tri City Airport does not have a traffic control tower. The 23:00 Saginaw weather was reported as: Measured ceiling 900 feet , overcast; visibility 3 miles; light snow showers; temperature 34; dewpoint 33; wind north-northeast 18, peak gusts to 27 knots, altimeter 29.48. At 23:16 Flight 67 advised Saginaw radio that it was over the airport. A short time later, ground witnesses observed the lights of the aircraft when it was on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. The aircraft was seen to make a left turn onto base leg and at this time the landing lights of the aircraft were observed to come on. During this portion of the approach the aircraft was flying beneath the overcast, estimated to be 900 feet, and appeared to be descending. When turning on final, the aircraft flew a short distance beyond the extended centerline of the runway and its bank was steepened considerably to effect realignment. The aircraft was observed to return to level flight and pitched steeply down. It impacted the ground and burst into flames. PROBABLE CAUSE: “An undetected accretion of ice on the horizontal stabilizer which, in conjunction with specific airspeed and aircraft configuration, caused a loss of pitch control.”