Accident Details
On August 14, 1963, at approximately 1500 Mountain Standard Time, an AAXICO Airlines, Inc., C-46-F aircraft, registration N67941, crash-landed in a plowed field and skidded into a small earthen dam. The accident occurred about 35 miles east-northeast of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Great Falls, Montana. The aircraft was operating as a cargo flight.
The crash sequence began after the pilot shut down the right engine. Subsequently, the pilot failed to maintain altitude and appropriate single-engine airspeed. The first officer sustained fatal injuries, and the captain sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. There was no fire.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident. The cause was the failure of the captain to effect a proper and timely assessment of a powerplant malfunction, followed by improper judgment and technique during a single-engine emergency operation.