Date: | Sunday 8 December 1963 |
Time: | 20:59 |
Type: | Boeing 707-121 |
Owner/operator: | Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) |
Registration: | N709PA |
MSN: | 17588/3 |
Year of manufacture: | 1958 |
Total airframe hrs: | 15609 hours |
Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 81 / Occupants: 81 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Elkton, MD -
United States of America
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Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
Departure airport: | Baltimore/Washington International Airport, MD (BWI/KBWI) |
Destination airport: | Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL) |
Investigating agency: | CAB |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:Pan American Flight 214 departed San Juan, Puerto Rico at 16:10 EST for a flight to Philadelphia with an intermediate stop at Baltimore. The aircraft, named 'Clipper Tradewind' arrived at Baltimore at 19:35 and took off again after refueling at 20:24. After contacting Philadelphia Approach Control the crew elected to wait in a holding pattern along with 5 other aircraft because of extreme winds at Philadelphia. Flight 214 entered a holding pattern west of the New Castle VOR on the 270 radial.
At 20:58 the airplane suffered a lightning strike. This caused the initial ignition of flammable fuel vapours inside the left reserve fuel tank. This triggered explosions in the centre and right reserve fuel tanks as well. Fuel spilled and caught fire; the complete left wingtip separated as a result. The aircraft was then seen to crash in flames. A 'Mayday' call was received by Philadelphia Approach as the plane was descending out of control.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "Lightning-induced ignition of the fuel/air mixture in the no. 1 reserve fuel tank with resultant explosive disintegration of the left outer wing and loss of control."
Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: | CAB |
Report number: | Final report |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 1 year and 2 months |
Download report: | Final report |
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Sources:
ICAO Accident Digest No.15 - Volume II, Circular 78-AN/66 (121-133)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft Location
Images:
photo (c) John Ryan; unknown
photo (c) Georges Cozzika; Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LBG/LFPB); 1958
photo (c) Bob Jenner Hobbs; London-Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL)
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |