DC-3 Crash

A recent discussion with an old flying friend about a fatal crash we observed started some research. We watched a Frontier Airlines DC-3 stall and spin December 21, 1967 at Denver Stapleton Airport, killing two. This was the original Frontier. The name lives on but three different organizations have used it (bankruptcy, merger, etc.).

This accident was the end result of many miscalculations; the worst being a takeoff with a control lock still in place. You can read the official report.

http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19671221-0

One glaring error in this report is the removal of the passenger seats. They were not removed and the cargo sacks were not installed over the seats.

I was working for TWA at the time as a cargo handler (attending college). Our airfreight facility was next door to Frontier and they had the DC-3 parked in the cargo area. This was unusual as most loading was done at the gates. Being an all cargo flight was also unusual. This meant I watched the plane being loaded. Being a pilot, I was interested and stuck my head inside.

At that time, the Denver area was home to several carnation flower growers. The carnations were packed in 3’x3’x5’ heavily waxed boxes. The DC-3 was loaded with mail tossed between the seats. Boxed flowers were placed in the aisles. Nothing was tied down. The pilot and co-pilot had to clamber over all this to get to the cockpit.

The following is for non pilots so the rest of this makes more sense. The movable controls on aircraft have smaller movable controls generally called trim tabs. These are adjusted to balance the controls so the pilot isn’t constantly working against pressure on the yoke/stick and rudder pedals. The small horizontal wing at the rear of a DC-3 is called the elevator and controls the pitch of the aircraft; that is, nose up or down. The elevator has a fixed section in the front and movable section in the rear. In the case of the DC-3, the fixed section has a limited range of adjustment. This give the pilot far more options in trimming the aircraft. The way weight is distributed within the aircraft is important, being referred to as weight and balance or center of gravity. This must be within certain limits or the controls won’t have enough force to control the aircraft.

My friend and I were at the TWA and Western gates facing North, he at the Western gates just West of TWA, when the DC-3 took off on Runway 35. Pilot can’t help watching takeoffs and landings. You could plainly see they were in trouble. In fact, the tower already had the fire trucks alerted as the DC-3 pitched up, then dropped the left wing and went in on the West side of 35 just North of the I-70 underpasses. The flames were enormous. One of the bravest things I’ve ever witnessed was the first fire truck on scene. Spraying foam, the driver went off the steep side of the taxiway directly into the wreck. They had the fire out almost immediately.

What I think happened was the flower boxes slid to the tail due to the high nose up attitude. The pilot may have been able to save it with the elevator trim had the cargo not shifted. Way too much rear CG to overcome.

The photograph in the paper the next day was taken from the rear of the wreck. Covered with foam, you could plainly see the gust lock.

I have no intention of judging the crew. The facts speak for themselves. The man in the left seat was a very senior pilot with management responsibilities. How much that clouded his thinking we can’t know but is alluded to in the official report.

So Hal, this is how I remember it.

On the road Saturday so limited blogging. Flying back from Atlanta (oh, joy).