ASN Aircraft accident Lockheed EC-121H Super Constellation 55-5262 Nantucket, MA, USA
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Status:
Date:Friday 11 November 1966
Time:01:27
Type:Silhouette image of generic CONI model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Lockheed EC-121H Super Constellation
Operator:United States Air Force - USAF
Registration: 55-5262
MSN: 4413
First flight: 1956
Crew:Fatalities: 19 / Occupants: 19
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 19 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:200 km (125 mls) E off Nantucket, MA, USA (   Atlantic Ocean)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Military
Departure airport:Falmouth-Otis AFB, MA (FMH/KFMH), United States of America
Destination airport:Falmouth-Otis AFB, MA (FMH/KFMH), United States of America
Narrative:
The Lockheed EC-121H Super Constellation, attached to the 961st Airborne Early Warning and Control Squadron, was assigned to an air defense mission to airborne long-range input (ALRI) station 2.
Estimated time en route was 9 hours plus 50 minutes.
On 10 November, 1966 at 23:38 local time, the aircraft taxied to the maintenance ramp reporting malfunctions on the no. 1 engine #1 cylinder And no. 2 engine #1 power Recovery Turbine (prt). The spark plugs, coils and leads were changed on #1 cylinder no. 1 engine, and the clamps were tightened on #1 PRT, no. 2 engine. Engines were again started at 00:20, November 11, and the aircraft took off from Otis AFB runway 23 at 00:37.
While en route the flight crew radioed: "still have flames coming from PRT #2 engine". However the aircraft-continued on its mission.
At 01:25 all radar contact was lost. A minute later the aircraft was seen to pass over two fishing vessels at low altitude (150-200ft). One or more engines were heard to be backfiring.
The aircraft later hit the water and burst into flames.
Only a widening oil slick and a few bits of floating debris marked the spot of the crash. Recovered were pieces of aircraft skin and insulation, a seat with a cushion, and three empty life preservers. Air Force officials identified them as from the missing plane.

Sources:
» www.dean-boys.com


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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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