Incident Overview
A Constellation 143197, carrying a crew of 23, departed on a routine flight two days before Christmas. The aircraft was under the command of Commander Guy Howard Jr., who occupied the copilot seat to conduct a checkout of Commander Frederick Woodward, qualifying him as a plane commander. The training exercise lasted five and a half hours, during which Howard tested Woodward's responses to various scenarios.
The Accident
Cruising at an altitude of 1,500 feet above the ocean, Howard initiated a simulated emergency: a fire in the forward baggage compartment. Woodward responded correctly by cutting electrical circuits, disconnecting them via circuit breakers. However, the aircraft began to descend uncontrollably. Navigator Richard Rentschler later recounted, "I thought it was a drill. The next thing I notice was water out the starboard window." Seconds later, the aircraft struck the water, broke apart, and caught fire.
Escape and Rescue
Upon impact, Rentschler was thrown under the navigator's table and emerged surrounded by flames. He pushed Radioman Franklin Henry Jr. through the escape hatch before jumping free himself. Lieutenant Thomas Kline, pinned beneath the radar console, was freed by crewman Robert O. Clark. Kline reportedly jumped through fire and swam underwater for 50 feet to avoid the flames. Commander Howard escaped from the cockpit. In total, four crew members were rescued, while nineteen others perished.
Probable Cause
Official findings attributed the accident to mismanagement of the fuel supply system by the crew, which led to the simultaneous failure of all four engines in flight.