Pan Am Flight 845/26

Pan Am Flight 845/26
Accident summary
A Pan Am Stratocruiser similar to the one involved in the accident.
Date	March 26, 1955 (1955-03-26)
Summary	Engine separation, water ditching
Site	Pacific Ocean 35 miles (56 km) West of Oregon, United States 43°48′15″N 125°12′40″W / 43.80417°N 125.21111°W / 43.80417; -125.21111Coordinates: 43°48′15″N 125°12′40″W / 43.80417°N 125.21111°W / 43.80417; -125.21111
Passengers	15
Crew	8
Fatalities	4
Injuries (non-fatal)	0
Survivors	19
Aircraft type	Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-26
Aircraft name	Clipper United States
Operator	Pan American World Airways
Registration	N1032V
Flight origin	Seattle-Tacoma, Washington
1st stopover	Portland International Airport
2nd stopover	Honolulu International Airport
Destination	Sydney, Australia

Pan Am Flight 845/26 was a four-engined Boeing 377 Stratocruiser named Clipper United States and registered as N1032V. It departed Portland International Airport in Oregon on a flight to Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii on March 26, 1955. The aircraft was en route and about 35 miles (56 km) off the Oregon coast when at 11:12 Pacific Standard Time the No. 3 engine and propeller tore loose from the wing causing a loss of control. The aircraft was ditched.

The aircraft floated for twenty minutes before sinking in 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) of water. Approximately two hours after the aircraft ditched, the United States Navy attack transport USS Bayfield (APA-33) arrived on the scene and rescued the 19 survivors. Four people died.^[1]

The probable cause was failure of No. 3 propeller which caused the engine to detach and the aircraft to become uncontrollable.

The experience provided lessons that helped prevent any casualties in another ditching the following year, when Pan Am Flight 6 sank between Honolulu and San Francisco.

References

ICAO Accident Digest Circular 50-AN/45 (92-96)
"Hobbs v. Franklin life insurance" The Federal Reporter 1958-05-22

↑ "March 26, 1955: Pan Am Flight 845/26 Crashes Off Oregon Coast". Dave Knows Portland. Retrieved 13 November 2015.

External links

Accident Investigation Report File No. 1-0039 U.S. Department of Transportation Archived Report - Civil Aeronautics Board
Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network

Airliner accidents and incidents involving ditching

Pan Am Flight 526A (1952)
Swissair Convair CV-240 (1954)
KLM Flight 633 (1954)
Pan Am Flight 845/26 (1955)
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2 (1956)
Pan Am Flight 6 (1956)
Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-124 (1963)
Japan Airlines Flight 2 (1968)
ALM Flight 980 (1970)
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 (1996)
Whyalla Airlines Flight 904 (2000)
Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 (2002)
Laoag International Airlines Flight 585 (2002)
Tuninter Flight 1153 (2005)
US Airways Flight 1549 (2009)
Angara Airlines Flight 5007 (2011)

← 1954 Aviation accidents and incidents in 1955 (1955) 1956 →

Jan 12 Cincinnati mid-air collision Feb 13 Sabena Flight 503 Feb 19 TWA Flight 260 Mar 20 American Airlines Flight 711 Mar 22 Hawaii R6D-1 crash Mar 26 Pan Am Flight 845/26 Apr 4 MacArthur Airport crash Apr 11 Kashmir Princess Jul 27 El Al Flight 402 Aug 11 Altensteig mid-air collision Oct 6 United Airlines Flight 409 Nov 1 United Airlines Flight 629

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