Douglas DC-7
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
transport aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
built by the Douglas Aircraft Company
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
from 1953 to 1958. It was the last major piston engine powered transport made by Douglas, coming just a few years before the advent of jet aircraft such as the Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
and Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
.
Design and development
Pan American World AirwaysPan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
originally requested the DC-7 in 1945 as a civilian version of the Douglas C-74 Globemaster military transport. It canceled its order shortly afterward; that DC-7 is unrelated to the later airliner.
American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
revived the designation when it requested an aircraft that could fly the USA coast to coast non-stop in about eight hours. Robert Rummel (at the time head of engineering at TWA) has stated that pilot union rules limiting flying time to eight hours per day influenced American's request to Douglas. Douglas was reluctant to build the aircraft until American Airlines president C. R. Smith
C. R. Smith
Cyrus Rowlett Smith , known throughout his life as C. R. Smith, was the CEO of American Airlines from 1934 to 1968 and from 1973 to 1974. He was also United States Secretary of Commerce for a brief period under President Lyndon B...
placed a firm order for 25 at a price of $40 million, thus covering Douglas' development costs.
The prototype flew in May 1953 and American received its first DC-7 in November, inaugurating the first non-stop east-coast-to-west-coast service in the country (optimistically scheduled just under the eight-hour limit for one crew) and forcing rival TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
to offer a similar service with its Super Constellations. Both aircraft frequently experienced in-flight engine
Wright R-3350
The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...
failures, causing many flights to be diverted.
The original DC-7 was followed by the DC-7B, identical except for slightly greater power and, on some DC-7Bs (Pan Am and South African Airways), fuel tanks added in longer engine nacelle
Nacelle
The nacelle is a cover housing that holds engines, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. In some cases—for instance in the typical "Farman" type "pusher" aircraft, or the World War II-era P-38 Lightning—an aircraft's cockpit may also be housed in a nacelle, which essentially fills the...
s. South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
used this variant on their Johannesburg to London route.
Operational history
The early DC-7s were only sold to U.S. carriers. European carriers could not take advantage of the small range increase in the early DC-7, so Douglas released an extended-range variant, the DC-7C (Seven Seas) in 1956. Two 5 ft (1.5 m) wing-root inserts added fuel capacity, reduced interference drag, and made the cabin quieter by moving the engines further outboard; all DC-7C's had the nacelle fuel tanks previously seen on Pan American's and South African's DC-7Bs. The fuselage, which had been extended over the DC-6B's with a 40 in (101.6 cm) plug behind the wing for the DC-7 and -7B, was lengthened with a similar plug ahead of the wing to give the DC-7C a total length of 112 in 3 in (34.21 m).Since the late 1940s Pan Am and other airlines had scheduled a few nonstop flights New York to Europe, but westward nonstops against the wind were rarely possible with an economic payload. The 1049G and DC-7B that appeared in 1955 could make the trip if the headwinds weren't bad, but in summer 1956 Pan Am's DC-7C (a long-range model dubbed the "Seven Seas") finally started making the westward trip fairly reliably. BOAC
British Overseas Airways Corporation
The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd...
was forced to respond by purchasing DC-7Cs rather than wait on the delivery of the Bristol Britannia
Bristol Britannia
The Bristol Type 175 Britannia was a British medium-to-long-range airliner built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in 1952 to fly across the British Empire...
. The DC-7C found its way into several other overseas airlines' fleets, including SAS
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
, which used them for cross-polar service to North America and Asia. The DC-7C sold better than its rival, the Lockheed L-1649A Starliner, which entered service a year later, but sales were cut short by the arrival of Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
and DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
jet aircraft in 1958-60.
Starting in 1959, Douglas began converting DC-7 and DC-7C aircraft into DC-7F freighters, which extended the life of the aircraft past its viability as a passenger transport.
The predecessor DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
, especially the DC-6B, had established, for its time, a reputation for straightforward engineering and reliability. Pratt & Whitney, manufacturer of the DC-6's Double Wasp engines, did not offer an effective larger engine apart from the Wasp Major, which had a reputation of poor reliability. Therefore Douglas turned to Wright Aeronautical
Wright Aeronautical
Wright Aeronautical was an aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturer located in New Jersey.-History:This American company evolved from the 1909-1916 Wright Company, which merged with the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1916 to form the Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation. Glenn Martin resigned from...
for a more powerful engine. The Duplex-Cyclone had reliability issues of its own, and this affected the DC-7's service record and usage. Carriers which had both DC-6s and DC-7s in their fleets usually replaced the newer DC-7s first once jets started to arrive. Some airlines had to scrap their DC-7s after little more than five years of service, whereas the vast majority of DC-6s lasted longer and then sold more readily on the secondhand market.
Variants
DC-7- Production variant, 105 built.
DC-7B
- First long range-variant with increased gross weight and increased fuel capacity, with most of the additional fuel in sadle tanks formed by extending the engine nacelles, although not all the aircraft had the additional fuel capacity, 112 built.
DC-7C Seven Seas
- Improved long-range variant with a non-stop transatlantic capability, improved 3400hp R-3350 engines and increased fuel capacity mainly in increased span wings, 121 built.
DC-7D
- Unbuilt variant with Rolls Royce Tyne engines.
DC-7F
- Freight conversion of all three variants with two large freight doors
Operators
Airlines
Historical operators of the DC-7 include AeromexicoAeroméxico
Airways of Mexico, SA de CV , operating as Aeroméxico, is the flag carrier airline of Mexico based in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia...
, Alitalia
Alitalia
Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
, American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, BOAC
Boac
Boac may refer to:* Boac, Marinduque, a municipality in the Southern Philippines* Boac , an American rapper* British Overseas Airways Corporation, a former British state-owned airline...
, Braniff Airways, Caledonian Airways
Caledonian Airways
Caledonian Airways was a wholly private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations Scottish charter airline formed in April 1961. It began with a single Douglas DC-7C leased from Sabena. Caledonian grew rapidly over the coming years to become the leading transatlantic "affinity...
, Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
, Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
, KLM, National Airlines
National Airlines (NA)
National Airlines was an airline founded in 1934 and was headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States near Miami.- History :...
, Northwest Orient
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
, Panair do Brasil
Panair do Brasil
Panair do Brasil is a defunct airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.-NYRBA do Brasil :...
, Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
, Sabena
Sabena
SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines...
, SAS
Scandinavian Airlines System
Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia....
, South African Airways
South African Airways
South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International...
, Swissair
Swissair
Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931...
, THY, TAI
TAI
Three letter acronym TAI may refer to:* IATA airport code for Ta'izz International Airport* ICAO code for TACA International Airlines* Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux, a now defunct French airline...
, and United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
.
In 2010, 17 DC-7s remained on the U.S. civil aviation registry, used mainly for cargo and as airtankers. Due to its engine problems, the DC-7 has not had the same longevity as the DC-6, which is still used by a number of commercial operators.
Orders and production
| Airline | DC-7 | DC-7B | DC-7C | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alitalia Alitalia Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier... |
0 | 0 | 6 | |
| American Airlines American Airlines American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport... |
34 | 24 | 0 | |
| British Overseas Airways Corporation British Overseas Airways Corporation The British Overseas Airways Corporation was the British state airline from 1939 until 1946 and the long-haul British state airline from 1946 to 1974. The company started life with a merger between Imperial Airways Ltd. and British Airways Ltd... |
0 | 0 | 10 | |
| Braniff Airways | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Continental Air Lines | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day... |
10 | 10 | 0 | |
| Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:... |
0 | 49 | 0 | |
| Japan Air Lines | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| KLM | 0 | 0 | 15 | |
| Mexicana Mexicana de Aviación Founded in 1921, Compañía Mexicana de Aviación, S.A. de C.V. was Mexico's oldest airline, before ceasing operations on August 28, 2010. The group's closure was announced by the company's recently installed management team a short time after the group filed for Concurso Mercantil and US Chapter 15... |
0 | 0 | 4 | |
| National Airlines National Airlines (NA) National Airlines was an airline founded in 1934 and was headquartered on the grounds of Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States near Miami.- History :... |
4 | 4 | 0 | |
| Northwest Orient Airlines | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
| Pan American-Grace Airways Pan American-Grace Airways Pan American-Grace Airways, better known as Panagra, was an airline formed as a joint venture between Pan American World Airways and Grace Shipping Company.-History:... |
0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Pan American World Airways Pan American World Airways Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991... |
0 | 6 | 27 | |
| Panair do Brasil Panair do Brasil Panair do Brasil is a defunct airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.-NYRBA do Brasil :... |
0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Sabena Sabena SABENA was the national airline of Belgium from 1923 to 2001, with its base at Brussels National Airport. After its bankruptcy in 2001, the newly formed SN Brussels Airlines took over part of SABENA's assets in February 2002, which then became Brussels Airlines... |
0 | 0 | 10 | 3 were leased |
| Scandinavian Airlines System Scandinavian Airlines System Scandinavian Airlines or SAS, previously Scandinavian Airlines System, is the flag carrier of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline in Scandinavia.... |
0 | 0 | 14 | |
| South African Airways South African Airways South African Airways is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, with headquarters in Airways Park on the grounds of OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng. The airline flies to 36 destinations worldwide from its hub at OR Tambo International... |
0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Swissair Swissair Swissair AG was the former national airline of Switzerland.It was formed from a merger between Balair and Ad Astra Aero , in 1931... |
0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux was a private French airline, based at Orly Airport, Paris. In 1963, it was merged with Union Aéromaritime de Transport to form UTA French Airlines.... |
0 | 0 | 4 | |
| United Air Lines | 57 | 0 | 0 | |
| Douglas Aircraft | 0 | 2 | 0 | Written off before delivery |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | DC-7B prototype delivered to Delta Air Lines | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | DC-7C prototype delivered to Panair do Brasil | |
| Totals | 105 | 111 | 122 | Total built 338 |
Accidents and incidents
- June 30, 1956: A United Airlines DC-7 and a TWATrans World AirlinesTrans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
L-1049 Super Constellation collided over the Grand Canyon1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collisionThe 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision occurred on Saturday, June 30, 1956 at 10:30 AM Pacific Standard Time when a United Airlines passenger airliner struck a Trans World Airlines airliner over the Grand Canyon in Arizona, resulting in the crash of both planes and 128 fatalities...
in ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, resulting in the deaths of 128 people on both aircraft. - January 31, 1957: A DC-7 crashed into a schoolPacoima aircraft accidentOn January 31, 1957, a Douglas DC-7 operated by Douglas Aircraft Company was involved in a mid-air collision with a United States Air Force Northrop F-89 Scorpion and crashed into the schoolyard of Pacoima Junior High School in Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. By...
yard in the PacoimaPacoima, Los Angeles, CaliforniaPacoima is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California.It is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the north...
area of Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, following a midair collision with a two-man Northrop F-89J Scorpion jet fighter, resulting in the deaths of the four crewmembers aboard the DC-7, the pilot of the Scorpion jet, and three students on the ground. - March 25, 1958: A Braniff Airlines DC-7c crashed shortly after takoff from Miami while attempting to return after an engine caught fire. Nine passengers out of 24 people aboard died in the accident.
- April 21, 1958: A United Airlines DC-7 en route from Los Angeles to Denver collided with a USAF F-100 fighter near Las Vegas. Both aircraft crashed out of control resulting in the deaths of 49 people.
- May 18, 1958: A Sabena DC-7 crashed near Casablanca Airport during an emergency landing. All nine crewmembers and 52 of the 56 passengers were killed.
- September 24, 1959: A Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI) DC-7 crashed at Bordeaux airport with the loss of 54 lives. After takeoff, the aircraft failed to gain altitude and collided with trees three km from the start of the takeoff.
- November 16, 1959: National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C, was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft which disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana on November 16, 1959...
on a flight from Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
to New Orleans crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. All 42 occupants perished. Although sabotage was suspected, no definite reason for this crash was ever determined. - February 26, 1960: An Alitalia DC-7C crashed at Shannon Airport, Ireland, shortly after takeoff with 34 fatalities out of 52 passengers and crew. No cause was ever determined for this accident.
- November 1, 1961: A Panair do BrasilPanair do BrasilPanair do Brasil is a defunct airline of Brazil. Between 1945 and 1965 it was considered to be the largest carrier not only in Brazil but in all of Latin America.-NYRBA do Brasil :...
DC-7C flying from SalAmilcar Cabral International AirportAmílcar Cabral International Airport , also known as Sal International Airport or Amílcar Cabral Airport, is the principal international airport of Cape Verde. The airport is named after the revolutionary leader Amílcar Cabral....
to Recife crashed into a hill about 2.7 km short of the runway at Recife. Forty-five passengers and crew out of the 88 persons aboard lost their lives. The accident was attributed to pilot error. - March 6, 1962: Caledonian Airways Flight 153 crashed into a swamp shortly after takeoff from Douala International AirportDouala International AirportDouala International Airport is an international airport located 6 miles from Douala, the largest city in Cameroon and the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Province...
, killing all 111 people on board. It is the worst single-aircraft accident of a DC-7. - November 30, 1962: An Eastern Airlines DC-7B on a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to New York-Idlewild crashed after a missed approach due to fog. Improper crew procedures were blamed on this accident which cost 25 lives out of 51 passengers and crew.
- June 3, 1963: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 293Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 293Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 293 was an American military charter operated on the 3 June 1963 by a Northwest Orient Airlines Douglas DC-7C registered N290 which crashed into the sea off the coast of Canada with the loss of all 101 crew and passengers on board.-Accident:Flight 293 was chartered...
, a Military Air Transport Service from McChord Air Force Base in Washington state to Elmendorf Air Force BaseElmendorf Air Force BaseJoint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a United States military facility adjacent to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is an amalgamation of the former United States Air Force Elmendorf Air Force Base and the United States Army Fort Richardson, which were merged in 2010.-Overview:The...
in AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
crashed into the Pacific near Annette Island, Alaska, with the loss of all 101 people aboard. The cause of the crash remains unknown. - February 8, 1965: Eastern Air Lines Flight 663Eastern Air Lines Flight 663Eastern Air Lines Flight 663 was a scheduled, domestic passenger flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, that crashed near Jones Beach State Park, New York, on February 8, 1965. Flight 663 had scheduled stopovers at John F...
crashed a few minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York after taking sudden evasive action to avoid a possible collision with another airliner. All 84 passengers and crew died. - December 31, 1972: Major League baseball player Roberto ClementeRoberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
, traveling to NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
for an earthquake relief effort, died after the DC-7 aircraft he was aboard crashed after takeoff off the coast of San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. All five people on the plane were killed in the crash. - June 21, 1973: About 6 minutes after take-off from Miami International Airport, a Skyways International DC-7C crashed, apparently caused by an onboard fire and/or severe turbulence. 3 crew members, the sole occupants, were killed.
- September 14, 1979: A Butler Aircraft Inc. DC-7 transporting company employees to Medford, Oregon crashed on the crest of Surveyor Mtn near Klamath Falls, Oregon. The cause of the accident which claimed the 12 occupants aboard, was attributed to the crew's decision to undertake a night flight at low altitude.
Specifications
DC-7
DC-7C
See also
External links
- Boeing McDonnell Douglas page on DC-7
- Airliners.net on the DC-7
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum page on the DC-7 - features QuickTime Virtual RealityQuickTime VRQuickTime VR is a type of image file format developed by Apple Inc. for QuickTime. It allows the creation and viewing of photographically-captured panoramas and the exploration of objects through images taken at multiple viewing angles...
(QTVR) views of cockpit and forward cabin