Narrative:
The aircraft executed five successive accelerated stalls and lost 3,000 feet of altitude. The forces and accompanying vibrations caused serious structure damage to skin, stringers, and bulkheads in the aft portions of the fuselage.
The aircraft then suffered a structural failure and crashed.
This accident caused by failure in the linkage of the elevator boost system which caused the elevator to travel to the full up position.
Loss of control
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Wednesday 14 May 1958 |
| Type: |  Lockheed R7V-1 Super Constellation |
| Operator: | United States Navy |
| Registration: | 131652 |
| MSN: | 4153 |
| First flight: | 1954 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 11 km (6.9 mls) E of Taft, CA ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Ontario International Airport, CA (ONT/KONT), United States of America |
| Mountain View-Moffett Field, CA (NUQ/KNUQ), United States of America |
The aircraft executed five successive accelerated stalls and lost 3,000 feet of altitude. The forces and accompanying vibrations caused serious structure damage to skin, stringers, and bulkheads in the aft portions of the fuselage.
The aircraft then suffered a structural failure and crashed.
Probable Cause:
This accident caused by failure in the linkage of the elevator boost system which caused the elevator to travel to the full up position.
Classification:
Elevator issue Loss of control
Sources:
» CAB Accident Report L-049 N86511, 1 Sep. 1961Photos
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 Ontario International Airport, CA to Mountain View-Moffett Field, CA as the crow flies is 545 km (340 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Ontario International Airport, CA to Mountain View-Moffett Field, CA as the crow flies is 545 km (340 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
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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