Narrative:
Flight 16 departed Kansas City, Missouri, at 07:24 for Omaha, Nebraska, Sioux City, Iowa, and other intermediate stops with final destination as Minneapolis, Minnesota. At 08:41 the flight took off for Sioux City on an instrument flight plan. At 09:04 Flight 16 reported over the Sloan Fan Marker, 11.9 miles south-southeast of the approach end of runway 35 at the Sioux City Airport. It was immediately cleared by the Sioux City Airport tower for a straight-in approach and landing on runway 35. Weather information was reported as: precipitation, ceiling 500 feet, sky obscured, visibility one mile in light snow showers, and wind from the east at 14 miles per hour. Following receipt of this information, the flight requested permission to land to the southeast on runway 13 and received clearance to do so. At 09:09 the flight reported that it was contact over the southeast corner of the field and was cleared to land. At the same time the aircraft was seen by a ground witness one mile southeast of the airport. Shortly thereafter, it was sighted approximately over the intersection of Runways 4/22 and 17/35 on an east-southeast heading. A left climbing turned to the north was then made and the pilot was advised that he was cleared to land on either runway 17 or runway 13. The pilot was also advised by the tower that there would be a 90-degree cross-wind if he elected to land on runway 17. All transmissions to the flight were acknowledged. The aircraft was not further observed, and crashed about 600 feet north and west of the approach end of runway 17. Fire developed immediately.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "A stall during a left turn too close to the ground to effect recovery."
» ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.2, Circular 24-AN/21 (71-72)
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 2 March 1951 |
| Time: | 09:12 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-3A |
| Operator: | Mid-Continent Airlines |
| Registration: | N19928 |
| MSN: | 7400 |
| First flight: | 1942 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 28202 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 21 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 25 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Sioux City, IA ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Omaha-Eppley Airfield, NE (OMA/KOMA), United States of America |
| Sioux City-Municipal Airport, IA (SUX/KSUX), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 16 |
Flight 16 departed Kansas City, Missouri, at 07:24 for Omaha, Nebraska, Sioux City, Iowa, and other intermediate stops with final destination as Minneapolis, Minnesota. At 08:41 the flight took off for Sioux City on an instrument flight plan. At 09:04 Flight 16 reported over the Sloan Fan Marker, 11.9 miles south-southeast of the approach end of runway 35 at the Sioux City Airport. It was immediately cleared by the Sioux City Airport tower for a straight-in approach and landing on runway 35. Weather information was reported as: precipitation, ceiling 500 feet, sky obscured, visibility one mile in light snow showers, and wind from the east at 14 miles per hour. Following receipt of this information, the flight requested permission to land to the southeast on runway 13 and received clearance to do so. At 09:09 the flight reported that it was contact over the southeast corner of the field and was cleared to land. At the same time the aircraft was seen by a ground witness one mile southeast of the airport. Shortly thereafter, it was sighted approximately over the intersection of Runways 4/22 and 17/35 on an east-southeast heading. A left climbing turned to the north was then made and the pilot was advised that he was cleared to land on either runway 17 or runway 13. The pilot was also advised by the tower that there would be a 90-degree cross-wind if he elected to land on runway 17. All transmissions to the flight were acknowledged. The aircraft was not further observed, and crashed about 600 feet north and west of the approach end of runway 17. Fire developed immediately.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "A stall during a left turn too close to the ground to effect recovery."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Loss of control
Sources:
» CAB File No. 1-0010» ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.2, Circular 24-AN/21 (71-72)
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Omaha-Eppley Airfield, NE to Sioux City-Municipal Airport, IA as the crow flies is 128 km (80 miles).
Distance from Omaha-Eppley Airfield, NE to Sioux City-Municipal Airport, IA as the crow flies is 128 km (80 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Douglas DC-3
- ca 13.000 built
- 2930th loss
- 1027th fatal accident
- 181st worst accident (at the time)
- 334th worst accident (currently)
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