Non-fatal accidents
1930s
- September 3, 1930
- Fokker F-10 NC810H was destroyed by a hurricane while parked at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. [19]
- October 2, 1932
- Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor NC9664 crashed in bad weather at El Aceituno, Choluteca, Honduras; no casualties. [20]
- April 16, 1935
- Consolidated Commodore NC660M burned out in a hangar fire in Miami, Florida. [21]
- April 25, 1938
- Flight 105, operated by a Sikorsky S-43 (NC16932), stalled and crashed in the Caribbean Sea off Kingston, Jamaica following engine failure caused by fuel system problems; the aircraft sank but all 18 on board survived. [22]
- July 15, 1938
- Douglas DC-3-228 NC18114 crashed into a hospital at Morón, Argentina while attempting to return to Ituzaingo Airport following engine failure, killing one person on the ground; all 13 on board the DC-3 survived. [23]
- February 19, 1939
- Sikorsky S-42 NC15376 Dominican Clipper porpoised (bounced) on landing and struck a swell and rose up, but just as power was applied, the left pontoon struck the water and the aircraft waterlooped and came to rest partially submerged; all 30 on board survived. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service but was lost in the crash of Flight 203 in 1941. [24]
1940s
- December 8, 1941
- Sikorsky S-42B NC16735 Hong Kong Clipper II was destroyed on the ground during the Battle of Hong Kong. [25]
- March 10, 1942
- Douglas DC-3-270 NC21750 burned out while parked at Khartoum, Sudan; the aircraft was operated by Pan Am's African division. [26]
- July 27, 1943
- Sikorsky S-42B NC16736 Bermuda Clipper burned out while parked on the Rio Negro at Manaus, Brazil. While parked and fully loaded with passengers and crew, a fire started in the carburetor on engine number one and the pilot told the mechanic to pull the fire extinguisher handle but the mechanic pulled the fuel dump handle by mistake. Burning fuel fell from the carburetor onto fuel that had been dumped onto the water, igniting it as well and catching the aircraft on fire. There were no casualties. [27]
- June 4, 1945
- Douglas DC-3-228F NC33611 crashed on takeoff from Piarco Airport; all 12 on board survived. [28]
- November 4, 1945
- Honolulu Clipper , the prototype Boeing 314 Clipper, force-landed in the Pacific, 625 miles off Hawaii following double engine failure. After an unsuccessful attempt to repair the engines at sea, the aircraft was to be towed to port, but the aircraft was damaged in the attempt and was intentionally sunk by US Navy gunfire as salvage was deemed impractical. The aircraft was operating an Operation Magic Carpet flight, carrying 26 military personnel back to the US after service in the Pacific.
- September 24, 1946
- Lockheed L-049 Constellation NC88831 Clipper Caribbean landed wheels-up due to pilot error; all 36 on board survived. The pilot called for 'flaps up' but the co-pilot raised the landing gear by mistake. [29]
- September 20, 1947
- Flight 131, a Douglas DC-4 (NC88911), landed short and skidded while landing at Floyd Bennett Field, New York, following double engine failure and in-flight fire; all 41 on board survived. Three hours into the flight the pilot attempted to operate the number three and four engines from their main fuel tanks following problems with the right side fuel system, but both engines failed later. The aircraft continued on two engines until the fire warning light came on for engines three and four. Smoke was seen coming from the number three engine and the CO2 bottle was discharged. The right side landing gear then came down with a burning tire. Full power was applied to maintain altitude as the crew prepared for a ditching, but the aircraft was able to reach the airport. Electricity was arcing between the main battery bus and an engine pulley control bracket on the number three engine. [30]
- April 29, 1948
- A Douglas DC-3A was struck by rifle fire on takeoff from San José, Costa Rica with several rounds penetrating the fuselage, blowing out a tire and striking a propeller blade. Despite the attack, the aircraft was able to safely continue to its destination. [31]
- December 9, 1948
- Flight 428, a Convair CV-240-2 (NC90665), ran off the runway while taking off from Rancho Boyeros Airport, Cuba; no casualties. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service. [32]
- January 26, 1949
- Curtiss C-46F NC1241N stalled and crashed at Asmara International Airport while attempting to return following a loss of power on engine number two on takeoff; all four crew survived. The aircraft was leased from the USAF. [33]
- January 30, 1949
- Flight 100, operated by Lockheed L-749 Constellation NC86530 Clipper Monarch of the Skies, collided in mid-air with a private Cessna 140 (NC76891) over Port Washington, New York; the Cessna crashed, killing both pilots; the Constellation landed safely at Mitchell AFB. [34]
1950s
- June 15, 1950
- Curtiss C-46F N74170 force-landed near Merida, Mexico following separation of the number two propeller; both pilots survived. A failure in the master rod bearing and crankshaft caused the propeller separation. The aircraft was leased from the USAF. [35]
- August 8, 1951
- Curtiss C-46F N74176 overran the runway on landing at Congonhas Airport, Brazil after landing too late; all three crew survived. The aircraft was leased from the USAF. [36]
- September 2, 1951
- Flight 507, a Convair CV-240-2 (N90662), crashed in the sea while on approach to Kingston, Jamaica due to crew errors; all 34 on board survived. [37]
- October 16, 1956
- Flight 6 , operated by Boeing 377-10-29 Stratocruiser Clipper Sovereign of the Skies (ex. AOA Flagship Holland), ditched in the Pacific Ocean due to double engine failure following an overspeed incident; all 31 on board survived.
- February 1, 1958
- Flight 70, operated by Douglas DC-7C N733PA, Clipper Bluejacket, landed wheels-up at Schiphol International Airport due to pilot error; all 16 on board survived. Just before landing the co-pilot decided to abandon the approach and ordered the landing gear up and takeoff power. The pilot then took control, ordered the gear down and proceeded to complete the landing. The landing gear was not all the way down and locked. [38]
- February 3, 1959
- Flight 115 , operated by Boeing 707-123 Clipper Washington, suffered a jet upset episode over the Atlantic when the autopilot disengaged after the co-pilot left his seat; the aircraft descended to 6000 feet before the pilots regained control after which the aircraft landed safely at Gander, Newfoundland with no casualties to the 129 on board.
- February 20, 1959
- Douglas DC-7C N740PA Clipper Gauntlet crashed on the runway at San Francisco International Airport during a training flight due to excessive descent; all three crew survived. [39]
- February 25, 1959
- Boeing 707-121 N709PA Clipper America entered a spin over Chartres, France during a training flight while practicing a two-engine minimum control condition. The pilots were able to recover, but the number four engine separated from the wing and an emergency landing was performed at London with no casualties to the five crew. The pilot failed to maintain flying speed during the maneuver. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service [40] but was lost following the crash of Flight 214 in 1963.
- April 10, 1959
- Boeing 377-10-26 Stratocruiser N1033V Clipper Midnight Sun struck an embankment after landing short at Juneau International Airport; all 10 on board survived. [41]
- June 22, 1959
- Douglas DC-6B Clipper Panama burned out on the runway at Shannon Airport after the number four engine fell off the wing due to a broken propeller blade; all eight on board survived. The number one blade on the number four propeller failed due to fatigue; the blade had been bent sometime in the past and this bending weakened the metal.
1960s
- February 18, 1961
- Douglas DC-7CF N745PA Clipper Fortune belly-landed at Echterdingen Airport after it struck a 10 foot tall dirt mound while on approach; all three crew survived. [42]
- April 7, 1964
- Flight 212, operated by Boeing 707-139 N779PA Clipper Southern Cross, overran the runway while landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport after landing too far down the runway due to pilot error; all 145 on board survived.
- June 28, 1965
- Flight 843 , operated by Boeing 707-321B Clipper Friendship, suffered an uncontained failure on engine number four shortly after takeoff from San Francisco at 800 feet. A fire started in the area of the engine and the outboard reserve fuel tank exploded. The engine and 25 feet of the right outer later wing fell off. The fire was put out and the aircraft performed an emergency landing at Travis AFB with no casualties to the 153 on board. The cause of the engine failure was traced back to improper assembly, use of worn parts, and a design defect. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
1970s
- July 30, 1971
- Flight 845 , operated by Boeing 747-121 Clipper America, struck runway structures on takeoff from San Francisco International Airport due to pilot error; all 218 on board survived.
- February 3, 1975
- A passenger started a fire on board a Boeing 747 63 miles west of Rangoon; the fire was put out by the crew and all 77 on board survived. [43]
- December 27, 1979
- Boeing 747-121SF N771PA suffered a partial separation of the number four engine and resultant fire while landing at Heathrow Airport; all three crew survived. The failure was caused by fatigue; the aircraft was repaired and returned to service. [44]
1980s
- September 3, 1980
- Flight 421, operated by Boeing 727-21 N327PA Clipper Meteor, crashed short of the runway at Juan Santamaria Airport in heavy rain; all 73 on board survived. [45]
- August 4, 1983
N738PA, the aircraft involved in the landing at Karachi - Flight 73, a Boeing 747-121 (N738PA), ran off the runway while landing at Karachi International Airport due to loss of control after the pilot selected forward thrust on engine number four by mistake; all 243 on board survived. [46]
- November 6, 1986
- Flight 301, operated by Boeing 727-235 N4743 Clipper Good Hope, collided with a Piper Apache (N2185P) while taxiing at Tampa International Airport. The Apache crashed, killing the pilot while the 727 was evacuated with no casualties to the 23 on board. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service. [47]
- March 10, 1987
- Flight 125, operated by a Boeing 747-122 N740PA Clipper Rival, suffered a pressurization problem while climbing through 20,000 feet. The flight was diverted back to London. When the plane was examined on the ground, the forward cargo door was found to be 1 1/2 inches opened.
