Accident
At 1826 Pacific standard time on February 16, 1963, Zantop Air Transport, Inc., LOGAIR Flight 60-16 (VK060), a Curtiss C-40F registration N616Z, crashed following an attempt to land on runway 17 at Thun Field, near Puyallup, Washington. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and post-impact fire. Both crew members—pilot Lawrence Wenzel and copilot Clarence B. Miller—survived but sustained severe injuries. No other occupants were aboard.
Flight History
Seven minutes after takeoff from McChord Air Force Base, Washington, an engine malfunction occurred. The crew attempted to feather the propeller but were unsuccessful. The aircraft experienced intermittent overspeeding. During the landing approach, the pilot initiated a go-around. While executing the go-around, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The airplane crashed in a pasture approximately half a mile northeast of Thun Field.
Probable Cause
The official investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the improper handling of an emergency situation, precipitated by a mechanical malfunction, which resulted in an unsuccessful single engine go-around. A contributing factor was the failure of Radar Approach Control to provide complete, accurate airfield data to the pilot.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft involved was a Curtiss C-40F, a twin-engine transport, registered as N616Z. The crew consisted of pilot Lawrence Wenzel and copilot Clarence B. Miller. Both were employees of Zantop Air Transport, Inc., operating under a LOGAIR contract. No injuries were reported among persons on the ground.