American Flyers Flight 280

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American Flyers Flight 280 was a flight operated on a U.S. Military Air Command contract from Monterey Regional Airport in California to Columbus Airport in Georgia, via Ardmore Municipal Airport, Oklahoma. On April 22, 1966, while approaching Runway 8 at Ardmore, the aircraft overshot the runway and crashed into a hill, bursting into flames. Eighty-three of the 98 passengers and crew on board died as a result of the accident.

Video American Flyers Flight 280

Aircraft

The aircraft was a Lockheed L-188C Electra four-engined turboprop airline registered as N183H. It had first flown in January 1961 and was bought by American Flyers Airline in January 1963.

Maps American Flyers Flight 280

Investigation

Investigators found no evidence of mechanical failure or defect. Some days after the crash, it was learned that the pilot, Reed Pigman, who also happened to be the president of American Flyers, was under care for arteriosclerosis. An autopsy of Pigman determined his cause of death to either be multiple injuries or coronary artery sclerosis.

It was also determined that Reed Pigman had falsified his application for a first-class medical certificate. He had not disclosed that he was diabetic or that he had a history of heart issues dating back almost two decades; both of these would have been disqualifying factors for the certificate.

The probable cause for the accident was:

The incapacitation, due to a coronary insufficiency, of the pilot-in-command at a critical point during visual, circling approach being conducted under instrument flight conditions.

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References

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External links

• American Flyers Flight 280 at Airdisaster.com

Source of article : Wikipedia