Accident at Los Angeles, California, 25 Nov 1948

Accident narrative

On November 25, 1948, at approximately 0552, Transcontinental & Western Air Flight 211, a Lockheed Constellation, crashed while landing at the Los Angeles Municipal Airport in California. The aircraft encountered dense ground fog just before touchdown, resulting in a hard landing and a subsequent fire that substantially damaged the airplane. Of the 18 passengers and five crew members on board, two passengers sustained minor injuries, and the rest were uninjured.

### The flight

Flight 211 originated in Washington, D.C., on November 24, destined for Los Angeles with scheduled stops in Kansas City, Albuquerque, and Phoenix. The flight departed Phoenix at 0358 on November 25. The crew consisted of Captain Evan Lewis, who had 15,425 total flying hours, First Officer Leon R. Pierson, Flight Engineer Virgil C. James, and two hostesses.

Prior to departing Phoenix, the crew received weather information forecasting ground fog at Los Angeles, Burbank, and Long Beach, with Palmdale designated as a clear alternate. En route, the flight received a company report indicating visibility at Los Angeles was reduced to one-half mile. At 0530, when the aircraft was 23 miles away, the Los Angeles tower advised that field visibility was restricted to one-quarter of a mile.

### The approach and landing

As Flight 211 approached, it was cleared to pass over the Los Angeles Municipal Airport. The tower relayed a report from a previous flight that ground fog was general in the area. Shortly after 0540, the tower transmitted a special weather observation to the crew: "Roger 211, special, at 0540 clear, visibility one mile ground fog." However, the transmission omitted the accompanying remarks from the Weather Bureau report, which noted that ground visibility was one-half mile, variable from one-quarter to three-quarters of a mile, and that the fog was estimated to be 10 to 50 feet deep.

The flight made a shallow left turn over the airport, completed the prelanding checklist, executed a procedure turn east of the field, and began an approach to Runway 25L. The pilot stated that the runway approach lights remained clearly visible, although small puffs of clouds were encountered. Flaps were fully extended as the airplane passed over the field boundary.

Before touching down, the aircraft encountered a thick formation of ground fog, reducing visibility to practically zero. The Constellation made contact with the runway 2,300 feet from the approach end. The impact was hard enough to deform the wing structure and deflect the No. 4 engine nacelle downward to the extent that the No. 4 propeller struck the runway. Fire was observed in the No. 4 nacelle area. Brakes were vigorously applied, and the aircraft rolled forward in a slight left turn before coming to rest 1,500 feet from the point of landing and 197 feet from the left edge of the runway. Flames rapidly engulfed the right wing and fuselage, but all occupants deplaned safely.

The tower had observed the airplane on its approach and flaring out for a normal landing before it disappeared into the fog. After receiving no acknowledgment to radio calls and noticing a reddish glow on the fog, the tower learned from nearby Pan American Operations that something was burning. The tower called the Los Angeles Fire Department at 0558, six minutes after the landing. Equipment arrived two minutes later, but the aircraft was practically destroyed.

### What the investigation found

Investigators found wheel marks indicating the left main landing wheels touched down first, followed immediately by the right main wheels and the nose wheel, which blew out upon landing. The aircraft landed on a heading eight degrees left of the runway, swerved slightly right, curved left, and finally made an abrupt 90-degree right turn. During this final turn, the left outboard tire passed over the lip of a trench dug for FIDO fog-dispersal equipment. Cuts from the No. 4 propeller were found starting 275 feet from the touchdown point, closely followed by scorched areas indicating fire broke out almost immediately after landing.

Examination of the wreckage revealed severe download damage to both wings. The investigation of the engines, propellers, and aircraft systems disclosed no evidence of mechanical or structural failure, nor any indication of fire, prior to the landing.

Weather analysis showed that a weak cold front had left moist, stable air over the coastal basin. As the ground cooled, thick banks of ground fog formed, varying from 10 to 50 feet in depth. Light winds shifted the fog back and forth over the airport, making visibility highly variable. The tower and weather observation platform were located three-eighths of a mile from the nearest part of Runway 25L and could not see the entire runway when visibility dropped to one-half mile. A special observation at 0551 reported visibility at one-half mile, but the flight was landing at that time and the information was not available to the pilot.

The Board noted that Runway 25L was equipped with high-intensity Bartow lights for only the first 1,160 feet. Because the aircraft landed 2,300 feet from the approach end, these lights offered no aid during the touchdown or rollout.

The investigation weighed whether the pilot could have anticipated the fog. Weather reports at Phoenix and en route indicated visibility below the authorized one-half mile minimum, and the clear sky above should have made the ground fog discernible. This evidence suggested the pilot should have been able to see or anticipate the fog before irrevocably committing to the landing. However, the Board also noted that the tower's incomplete 0540 report of one-mile visibility might have misled the pilot into believing conditions were better than they were. The pilot and copilot testified that the runway remained clear during their approach, and the Board considered it possible that the variable wind shifted the fog over the runway suddenly and without warning.

Because the right side of the airplane was almost entirely destroyed, the exact start of the fire could not be determined. The investigation noted several possibilities: lines for gasoline, alcohol, hydraulic oil, and engine oil in the No. 4 nacelle were probably damaged during the hard landing, and leaking fluids could have been ignited by the engine exhaust or a short circuit.

### Probable cause

The Board determined that "the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's inability to see the runway after entering a ground fog during a final approach and landing."