Northwest Airlines Flight 1
Encyclopedia
Northwest Airlines
Flight 1, registration NC17389, was a Lockheed 14H Super Electra
aircraft which crashed approximately ½ mile southwest of the Miles City, Montana
, airport on January 13, 1939. All four on board were killed in the accident.
Flight 1 normally originated in Chicago, Illinois, and ended in Seattle, Washington
, via the intermediate stops Minneapolis, Minnesota
, Fargo
, and Bismarck, North Dakota
, Miles City
, Billings
, and Butte, Montana
, and Spokane, Washington
. On the date of the accident, the flight actually began in Minneapolis and departed at 4:00 PM local time
.
The flight reached Miles City, Montana, at 7:41 PM Mountain time
to refuel and take on cargo. Takeoff from Miles City Municipal Airport
was delayed for over an hour due to weather conditions at Billings, but the aircraft eventually departed at 9:14 PM with only two passengers on board. Shortly after takeoff, and at an altitude of five hundred feet above ground level (AGL), the aircraft began a short turn to the left, lost altitude rapidly, and descended almost to the ground. It then pulled up into a sharp climb, reached about 500 feet AGL again, turned left again and descended rapidly into a ravine approximately ½ mile southwest of the field.
Investigators with the United States Department of Commerce
's Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), a predecessor organization to both the FAA and the NTSB, determined that an intense fire had developed in the cockpit
shortly after the aircraft had departed the airport. Although the state of the wreckage prevented investigators from definitively pinpointing the exact origin of the fire, an area of severe burning was found close to the cross-feed fuel valve located in the cockpit between the pilot and co-pilot. The Super Electra's cross-feed fuel system maintained a constant pressure of approximately 4½ pounds, and there had been numerous reports of leakage in the vicinity of the valve. Lockheed designers had not provided any method by which any fuel that did leak from the valve could safely be drained. It was also difficult to maintain or inspect the valve due to its location.
The CAA recommended that the cross-feed fuel system be relocated to allow for easier maintenance and inspection and to reduce the possibility of a cockpit fire caused by fuel leakage. They also recommended that areas of leakage in the fuel line be modified so as to allow for adequate drainage.
This accident occurred almost exactly one year after Northwest Airlines Flight 2
crashed near Bozeman, Montana
. These accidents, as well as two others which befell Northwest Airlines Super Electras in 1938, called into question the airworthiness
and commercial potential of the model. Northwest Airlines sold off its fleet of Electras soon after this accident.
This flight number was used for many years on Northwest Airlines' Los Angeles-Tokyo-Ho Chi Minh City route. But after Northwest Airlines was acquired by Delta, the "Northwest Flight 1" designation no longer existed.
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
Flight 1, registration NC17389, was a Lockheed 14H Super Electra
Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, René J. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-835-6.-External links:*...
aircraft which crashed approximately ½ mile southwest of the Miles City, Montana
Miles City, Montana
Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,123 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, airport on January 13, 1939. All four on board were killed in the accident.
Flight 1 normally originated in Chicago, Illinois, and ended in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, via the intermediate stops Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, and Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
, Miles City
Miles City, Montana
Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,123 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Billings
Billings
-Places:In Canada:*Billings, OntarioIn Germany:*Billings, HesseIn Russia:*Billings, RussiaIn the United States:* Billings, Montana* Billings, Missouri* Billings, New York* Billings, Oklahoma* Billings County, North Dakota...
, and Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, and Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. On the date of the accident, the flight actually began in Minneapolis and departed at 4:00 PM local time
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
.
The flight reached Miles City, Montana, at 7:41 PM Mountain time
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
to refuel and take on cargo. Takeoff from Miles City Municipal Airport
Miles City Municipal Airport
Miles City Airport or Frank Wiley Field is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Miles City, in Custer County, Montana, United States. This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for...
was delayed for over an hour due to weather conditions at Billings, but the aircraft eventually departed at 9:14 PM with only two passengers on board. Shortly after takeoff, and at an altitude of five hundred feet above ground level (AGL), the aircraft began a short turn to the left, lost altitude rapidly, and descended almost to the ground. It then pulled up into a sharp climb, reached about 500 feet AGL again, turned left again and descended rapidly into a ravine approximately ½ mile southwest of the field.
Investigators with the United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
's Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), a predecessor organization to both the FAA and the NTSB, determined that an intense fire had developed in the cockpit
Cockpit
A cockpit or flight deck is the area, usually near the front of an aircraft, from which a pilot controls the aircraft. Most modern cockpits are enclosed, except on some small aircraft, and cockpits on large airliners are also physically separated from the cabin...
shortly after the aircraft had departed the airport. Although the state of the wreckage prevented investigators from definitively pinpointing the exact origin of the fire, an area of severe burning was found close to the cross-feed fuel valve located in the cockpit between the pilot and co-pilot. The Super Electra's cross-feed fuel system maintained a constant pressure of approximately 4½ pounds, and there had been numerous reports of leakage in the vicinity of the valve. Lockheed designers had not provided any method by which any fuel that did leak from the valve could safely be drained. It was also difficult to maintain or inspect the valve due to its location.
The CAA recommended that the cross-feed fuel system be relocated to allow for easier maintenance and inspection and to reduce the possibility of a cockpit fire caused by fuel leakage. They also recommended that areas of leakage in the fuel line be modified so as to allow for adequate drainage.
This accident occurred almost exactly one year after Northwest Airlines Flight 2
Northwest Airlines Flight 2
Northwest Airlines Flight 2, registration NC17388, was a Lockheed 14H Super Electra aircraft which crashed into the Bridger Mountains about 12 miles northeast of Bozeman, Montana, on January 10, 1938...
crashed near Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. These accidents, as well as two others which befell Northwest Airlines Super Electras in 1938, called into question the airworthiness
Airworthiness
Airworthiness is a term used to describe whether an aircraft has been certified as suitable for safe flight. Certification is initially conferred by a Certificate of Airworthiness from a National Airworthiness Authority, and is maintained by performing required maintenance actions by a licensed...
and commercial potential of the model. Northwest Airlines sold off its fleet of Electras soon after this accident.
This flight number was used for many years on Northwest Airlines' Los Angeles-Tokyo-Ho Chi Minh City route. But after Northwest Airlines was acquired by Delta, the "Northwest Flight 1" designation no longer existed.
External links and references
- CAA Accident Investigation Report, Northwest Airlines Flight 1
(if link above fails to load report, visit http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net and select "Historical Aircraft Accident Reports (1934-1965)", then retry report link) - Report on Flight 1 at http://planecrashinfo.com