Convair 240 accident at Near Albany, New York, 16 Sept 1953

Accident narrative

On September 16, 1953, an American Airlines Convair 240, operating as Flight 723, struck two radio towers and crashed while executing a contact approach to the Albany Municipal Airport in New York. The accident occurred at approximately 0834. All three crew members and 25 passengers on board were killed, and the aircraft was destroyed by impact and fire.

**The flight**

Flight 723 was a scheduled operation from Boston, Massachusetts, to Chicago, Illinois, with intermediate stops including Hartford, Connecticut, and Albany, New York. The crew consisted of Captain J. W. Stentz, who had 7,500 flying hours including 2,000 in Convair 240 aircraft; First Officer W. J. Schanken, with 1,400 hours and 215 in type; and Stewardess J. G. Thornquist.

The flight departed Hartford’s Bradley Field with 25 passengers. Its gross takeoff weight and center of gravity were within allowable limits. En route weather was clear, but Albany weather was below the company’s landing minimums. The flight was advised by the company dispatcher to hold, as conditions were forecast to improve.

**Holding and approach attempts**

The flight reported over an in-range visual check point and requested clearance to maintain at least 500 feet on top of the clouds to the Albany Range Station. The flight reached the station at 0712 and entered a holding pattern with six to nine other aircraft.

Between 0753 and 0816, three other holding aircraft attempted standard instrument approaches to Runway 19. Two executed missed approaches, while the third landed successfully. Flight 723 was then cleared for an instrument approach to Runway 19. Three minutes later, the flight advised the tower it was abandoning the approach because the aircraft’s flaps could not be lowered. The flight returned to the holding pattern at least 500 feet on top of the clouds.

At approximately 0830, the Albany Tower broadcast to all holding aircraft that weather to the west appeared suitable for a contact approach. The tower asked Flight 723 if it would accept a contact approach from the west for a landing on Runway 10. After requesting and receiving the current weather, the altimeter setting, and the length of Runway 10, the flight accepted. The tower cleared Flight 723 for a contact approach. Acknowledgment of this clearance was the last radio contact with the aircraft.

**What the investigation found**

The aircraft’s right wing struck the center tower of three WPTR radio towers at 308 feet above the ground, followed immediately by the left wing striking the easterly tower at 293 feet. The towers, located 3.1 miles southwest of the airport, were 370 feet tall. Ground impact occurred 1,590 feet beyond the towers.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear was down and locked, and the flaps were in the "full up" position. Investigators found that the plunger shaft between the wing flap selector valve and its electrical solenoid had failed due to fatigue. This failure prevented the pilot from lowering the flaps and could not be overridden manually from the cockpit.

Teardown inspections of the severely damaged engines showed no evidence of mechanical failure prior to impact. The propellers were found in the full low pitch position. There was no indication of an in-flight fire, and sufficient fuel was on board. The aircraft’s Omni Bearing Selector was found set to 99 degrees, closely matching the 100-degree bearing of Runway 10.

The three radio towers were hazard-painted and lighted in accordance with accepted standards, and their lights were on at the time of the accident. All Civil Aeronautics Administration navigation and landing facilities for Albany were functioning properly.

Witnesses observed the aircraft’s flight path before the crash. It was seen west of the airport flying south at about 2,000 feet, before turning west into or above a fog bank. It then flew south for a few miles before beginning a wide circular right turn. Witnesses 11 miles southwest of the airport saw the aircraft flying low with its landing gear extended and reported the engines sounded normal.

Near the radio towers, where ground visibility was poor and fog was dense, witnesses saw the aircraft flying very close to the treetops between patches of fog. Several noted the aircraft appeared to be "rocking" from side to side, and the engines sounded as though they were "sputtering." A sound believed to be a surge of engine power was heard immediately prior to the crash. A witness who saw the aircraft fall stated that the upper one-third of the towers was completely obscured by fog.

According to qualified witnesses, a Convair 240 could be landed on Runway 10 without flaps and stopped within 3,500 feet using brakes and reverse propeller thrust. The Board noted that Captain Stentz’s request for the runway length was undoubtedly made to ascertain if it was sufficient for a flaps-up landing, which requires a higher approach speed and longer landing roll.

The Board found that rolling turns were made along the flight path in an apparent effort to enhance forward visibility, which undoubtedly caused ground witnesses to describe the aircraft as rocking. The Board concluded that, confronted with intermittent fog and haze, the pilot should have abandoned the approach. Instead, he flew at an extremely low altitude, probably in an effort to maintain visual flight and touch down near the approach end of the runway. It is probable that the aircraft continued its wide right turn past the desired heading to the runway, resulting in the collision. The Board noted the engine surge heard by witnesses may have been a sudden application of throttle to avoid the towers, or it is possible witnesses misinterpreted the sound.

**Probable cause**

The Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was "that during the execution of a contact approach, and while maneuvering for alignment with the runway to be used, descent was made to an altitude below obstructions partially obscured by fog in a local area of restricted visibility."