Pan Am Flight 100

Pan Am Flight 100

Diagram of the collision showing the flight path, airspeed, and point of impact
Mid-air collision
Date	30 January 1949 (1949-01-30)
Summary	Mid-air collision
Site	Port Washington, North Hempstead, United States 40°49′44″N73°41′12″W / 40.82889°N 73.68667°W / 40.82889; -73.68667
Total fatalities	2
Total survivors	33
First aircraft
The Lockheed L-749A Constellation involved in the collision, now in service with Air France in 1955
Type	Lockheed L-749A Constellation
Name	Clipper Monarch of the Skies
Operator	Pan American World Airways
IATA flight No.	PA100
ICAO flight No.	PAA100
Call sign	CLIPPER 100
Registration	NC86530
Flight origin	LaGuardia Airport, East Elmhurst, United States
Destination	Shannon Airport, Shannon, Ireland
Occupants	33
Passengers	23
Crew	10
Fatalities	0
Survivors	33
Second aircraft
A Cessna 140, similar to the one involved in the collision
Type	Cessna 140
Operator	Private
Registration	NC76891
Flight origin	Meriden Airport, [a] Meriden, United States
Destination	Meriden Airport, [a] Meriden, United States
Occupants	2
Passengers	1
Crew	1
Fatalities	2
Survivors	0

Pan Am Flight 100 was a scheduled passenger flight from La Guardia Airport to Shannon Airport operated by Pan American World Airways on 30 January 1949 with a Lockheed L-749A Constellation, collided in mid-air over Port Washington, New York, with a Cessna 140 that was on a local flight from Meriden Airport ^[a] . The Constellation sustained substantial damage but landed without casualties at Mitchel Air Force Base. The Cessna crashed, resulting in the death of the pilot and the sole passenger. ^[1] The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the collision to the failure of both pilots to observe and avoid each other. ^[2]

Passengers and crew

The pilot in command of the Constellation was George F. Knuth, who was later killed in 1963 while serving as the captain of Pan Am Flight 214. ^{[3] [4]} Passengers aboard the Constellation included English theatre producer Harold Fielding and Laszlo Halasz, director of the New York City Opera. ^[5]

Notes

1. Now known as Meriden Markham Municipal Airport.

References

1. "Accident Lockheed L-749A Constellation NC86530, Sunday 30 January 1949". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
2. "Accident Investigation Report: Pan American Airways, Inc. and Cessna 140 - Port Washington, Long Island, New York, January 30, 1949" (PDF). Civil Aeronautics Board. 10 October 1949. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
3. "2 in Tiny Plane Are Killed As It Rips Clipper in Flight". The New York Times. 31 January 1949. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
4. "List of Victims in Crash". The New York Times. 10 December 1963. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
5. Lee, Henry (31 January 1949). "Tiny Plane Hits Airliner Over L. I., 3 Killed". Daily News. New York. p. 2C. Retrieved 21 June 2025– via Newspapers.com.