Incident Overview
On May 18, 1965, at approximately 0601 c.s.t., AAXICO Airlines Flight 1416B, a Douglas DC-6A registered as N6579C, crashed during a landing approach at Whiteman Air Force Base (AFB), Knob Noster, Missouri. The aircraft was operating a regularly scheduled Civil Air Movement (CAM) cargo flight. The crew of three, the only persons on board, escaped uninjured.
Sequence of Events
The flight originated from Hill AFB, Ogden, Utah, destined for Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska, with several scheduled stops at various Air Force bases en route. After departing Tinker AFB, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 0446 c.s.t. on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan, the crew canceled IFR shortly after departure and continued under Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
Approaching Whiteman AFB from the south, the flight was cleared for a straight-in visual approach to runway 36. At that time, a line of thunderstorms was located west of the field, with portions moving across the approach end of the runway, obstructing the crew's view of the base and runway. The flight continued the approach into heavy rain, which reduced visibility to the point that visual contact with the ground was lost.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft struck trees 4,204 feet short of the runway threshold and 740 feet to the right of the extended runway centerline while on a magnetic heading of 020 degrees. After impact, the aircraft continued to the ground, shearing the landing gear, the No. 4 engine, and the right outer wing panel. It then slid approximately 1,200 feet on the bottom fuselage surface. Ground impact ruptured the right wing fuel tanks, spilling fuel along the wreckage path, resulting in a ground fire of short duration. The left inboard tanks also ruptured, causing a fire that destroyed the fuselage interior.
Probable Cause
The Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was an improperly executed landing approach into an area of adverse weather, during which the aircraft was allowed to descend to an altitude too low to avoid striking trees.