Florida Commuter Airlines crash
Encyclopedia
The Florida Commuter Airlines Flight 65 crash into the Atlantic Ocean
near West End Settlement on Grand Bahama Island occurred on September 12, 1980. The Douglas DC-3
departed West Palm Beach, FL at 20:35 and crashed at about 20:58 leaving no survivors. The plane was not recovered. The cause is undetermined, but factors include "known thunderstorm activities and
turbulence, preexisting discrepancies in the pitot-static system
of the aircraft
and their effect on the reliability of the flight instruments
, and lack of
operational control exercised by the airline's management." The originally scheduled pilot was unable to fly and the replacement pilot informed flight operations for Florida Commuter Airlines
that he could not fly "14 Code of Federal Regulations
135 flights since he was
overdue for a 6-month instrument check. The Director of Operations assured the
replacement pilot that the flight was to be conducted under 14 CFR 91 and that,
for that reason, he was not required to have a current 6-month instrument check.
The pilot then agreed to fly a Part 91 flight."
Takeoff was initially aborted due to no airspeed indication. Passengers were deplaned. Maintenance determined that the tube ram air
openings were covered by mud dauber
nests. The nests were cleared and a high speed taxi run verified the fix. Passengers reboarded and the plane was able to take off. At 20:58 the pilot radioed Freeport Airport control tower that he was prepared to land. That was the last communication from the plane. The plane had no radar and no way to know how bad the weather was ahead of them. The control tower tried to radio the plane at 21:15, but received no response. At 22:43 a United States Coast Guard
C-131 reached the area and spotted debris and bodies floating in the water. There were heavy thunderstorms in the area. 16 bodies were recovered prior to the termination of the search on September 15, 1980. There were inital reports that some of the bodies were wearing life jackets, but later reports from the US Coast Guard indicated none of the recovered passengers were wearing life jackets. The aircraft was never located. There were reports of sabotage which were investigated. However, On page (13) of the Aircraft Accident Report, the NTSB noted "Sabotage, or foul play, has been discounted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has not been considered in this evaluation".
Eyewitness accounts state that the plane was flying low and plunged into the ocean shortly after passing through a cloud.
The flight was a promotional flight for the airline with tickets selling for $20 each just to cover expenses. The stay in Freeport was supposed to be six hours so the passengers could gamble and return quickly. The flight was due back at 02:00. All of the passengers were residents of Palm Beach County.
, paying $400 for the trip. As the Navajo seats a maximum of (7) passsngers, the decision was made to use the DC-3 aircraft. In order to fill the excess seats, the airline informally sold tickets for as low as $18 to airline business partners This resulted in large numbers of passengers who were acquaintances.
as a Douglas C-53D
in 1942. It was converted to a DC-3A after World War II
. It flew with Northeast Airlines
from 1946 until 1961 when it was acquired by Lake Central Airlines
. Later it flew for Red Baron Airlines
and finally for Florida Commuter Airlines
.
The NTSB report would later determine that the method used to clear the pitot tubes was an "...improper maintenance procedure" and may have contributed to the crash. The chief mechanic, Sam DeThomas, used a small screwdriver and a coat hanger instead of the required procedure to remove the mud dauber nest. DeThomas said the reason he didn't follow the proper procedure (which required disconnecting instruments from the panel and blowing compressed air through the pitot tubes) was due to the passenger's impatience. DeThomas told investigators that "I had the problem of people screaming that they wanted to get back on the airplane - not get back on the airplane, but they wanted to go"
The Airline was insured by Aviation Insurance Co., a representative of Lloyd's of London
. Coverage included aircraft liability, property damage , bodily injury to passengers, and damage to passenger's property. Several of the passenger's families sued the airline, but later reluctantly settled for $35,000 per passenger. The mother of Mary McNamara later stated that "I feel badly about it, but we couldn't go through any more. Answering all those questions...They (attorneys for the insurance compnay) made us feel like she was someone who rented a room from us. I cannot tell you what she meant to me. A beautiful young girl walked out the door and was brutally murdered"
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
near West End Settlement on Grand Bahama Island occurred on September 12, 1980. The Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
departed West Palm Beach, FL at 20:35 and crashed at about 20:58 leaving no survivors. The plane was not recovered. The cause is undetermined, but factors include "known thunderstorm activities and
turbulence, preexisting discrepancies in the pitot-static system
Pitot-static system
A pitot-static system is a system of pressure-sensitive instruments that is most often used in aviation to determine an aircraft's airspeed, Mach number, altitude, and altitude trend. A pitot-static system generally consists of a pitot tube, a static port, and the pitot-static instruments...
of the aircraft
and their effect on the reliability of the flight instruments
Flight instruments
Flight instruments are the instruments in the cockpit of an aircraft that provide the pilot with information about the flight situation of that aircraft, such as height, speed and altitude...
, and lack of
operational control exercised by the airline's management." The originally scheduled pilot was unable to fly and the replacement pilot informed flight operations for Florida Commuter Airlines
Florida Commuter Airlines
Florida Commuter Airlines was a small U.S. regional airline based out of Palm Beach International Airport that evolved directly from Roberson Air, Inc. which did business as Red Baron Airlines. This happened when Dr. Rudolph P. Scheerer bought out Dr. Clive E. Roberson for a 100% stake in the...
that he could not fly "14 Code of Federal Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the general and permanent rules and regulations published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government of the United States.The CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency...
135 flights since he was
overdue for a 6-month instrument check. The Director of Operations assured the
replacement pilot that the flight was to be conducted under 14 CFR 91 and that,
for that reason, he was not required to have a current 6-month instrument check.
The pilot then agreed to fly a Part 91 flight."
Takeoff was initially aborted due to no airspeed indication. Passengers were deplaned. Maintenance determined that the tube ram air
Ram-air intake
A ram-air intake is any intake design which uses the dynamic air pressure created by vehicle motion to increase the static air pressure inside of the intake manifold on an engine, thus allowing a greater massflow through the engine and hence increasing engine power.The ram air intake works by...
openings were covered by mud dauber
Mud dauber
Mud dauber is a name commonly applied to a number of wasps from either the family Sphecidae or Crabronidae that build their nests from mud...
nests. The nests were cleared and a high speed taxi run verified the fix. Passengers reboarded and the plane was able to take off. At 20:58 the pilot radioed Freeport Airport control tower that he was prepared to land. That was the last communication from the plane. The plane had no radar and no way to know how bad the weather was ahead of them. The control tower tried to radio the plane at 21:15, but received no response. At 22:43 a United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
C-131 reached the area and spotted debris and bodies floating in the water. There were heavy thunderstorms in the area. 16 bodies were recovered prior to the termination of the search on September 15, 1980. There were inital reports that some of the bodies were wearing life jackets, but later reports from the US Coast Guard indicated none of the recovered passengers were wearing life jackets. The aircraft was never located. There were reports of sabotage which were investigated. However, On page (13) of the Aircraft Accident Report, the NTSB noted "Sabotage, or foul play, has been discounted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has not been considered in this evaluation".
Eyewitness accounts state that the plane was flying low and plunged into the ocean shortly after passing through a cloud.
The flight was a promotional flight for the airline with tickets selling for $20 each just to cover expenses. The stay in Freeport was supposed to be six hours so the passengers could gamble and return quickly. The flight was due back at 02:00. All of the passengers were residents of Palm Beach County.
Crew
- Captain Bill Selva of Lake Clarke Shores, FloridaLake Clarke Shores, FloridaLake Clarke Shores is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,451 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,475.-History:...
was described as an excellent pilot and very familiar with the route. - Copilot Diana Leonard had experience on the route and with DC-3's.
- Flight Attendants Jennifer Kruger and Suzanne Payne were both said to be well trained and enthusiastic about their work.
Complete Passenger Manifest
Passenger Jack Levenson had initially booked the flight for (13) friends and colleagues on the airline's much smaller Piper NavajoPiper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
, paying $400 for the trip. As the Navajo seats a maximum of (7) passsngers, the decision was made to use the DC-3 aircraft. In order to fill the excess seats, the airline informally sold tickets for as low as $18 to airline business partners This resulted in large numbers of passengers who were acquaintances.
- Bill Selva - 44 - Captain - Lost at sea
- Diana Leonard - 25 - First Officer - Lost at sea
- Susan Null Payne - 23 - Flight Attendant - Lost at sea
- Jennifer Kruger - 21 - Flight Attendant - Lost at sea
- Francis Dowd - 28 - Passenger - Recovered (Employee of Sunshine Answerphone)
- Yolanda Dowd - 49 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Mother of Edward Dowd, Jr)
- Edward Dowd, Jr - 26 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Husband of Francis Dowd)
- Edward Dowd, Sr - 49 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Father of Edward Dowd, Jr)
- Terry Fernandez - 20 - Passenger - Recovered
- Kelly Goodwin - 19 - Passenger - Recovered (Dual U.S./Bahamian citizen)
- John T. Harmon - 28 - Passenger - Recovered (Financial advisor for Florida Commuter Airlines)
- Richard Hendricks - 22 - Passenger - Recovered (Brother of Tim Hendrix)
- Tim Hendricks - 24 - Passenger - Recovered (Boyfriend of Terry Fernandez)
- Peter Lapeska - Passenger - Lost at sea (Employee of Gee & Jenson)
- Tom Lapman - 25 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Companion of Mary Lynn McNamara)
- Dorothy LaPrest - 34 - Passenger - Recovered (The LaPrests had a policy of not flying on the same plane for fear their children would be orphaned)
- John LaPrest - Passenger - Lost at sea (Husband of Dorthy LaPrest)
- Jacqueline Lawson - 36 - Passenger - Recovered (Roommate of Pauline G. Miller)
- Ann Levenson - 43 - Passenger - Recovered
- Jack Levenson - 44 - Passenger - Recovered
- Allen Levine - 29 - Passenger - Lost at sea
- Ginet Lowe - 22 - Passenger - Recovered
- Edward McGahran - 21 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Friend of Kelly Goodwin)
- Mary Lynn McNamara - 19 - Passenger - Recovered
- Frank Messana - 59 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Companion of Betty Jo Skinner)
- Pauline G. Miller - 26 Passenger - Lost at sea (Employee of Gee & Jenson)
- Glen Peters - 26 - Passenger - Recovered
- Bobby Reynolds - Passenger - Lost at sea (Husband of Kim Reynolds)
- Kim Reynolds - 20 - Passenger - Recovered (Employee of Sunshine Answerphone)
- Betty Jo Skinner - 51 - Passenger - Recovered
- Doug Talgo - 24 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Foster brother of John T.Harmon)
- Carol Winter - 24 - Passenger - Lost at sea (Employee of Gee & Jenson. Purchased ticket under the alias Carol Winger)
- Genevieve (Jean) Yankovick - 47 - Passenger - Lost at sea
- George Yanovick - 55 - Passenger - Recovered
Aircraft
The DC-3 that crashed was originally built for the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
as a Douglas C-53D
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
in 1942. It was converted to a DC-3A after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It flew with Northeast Airlines
Northeast Airlines
Northeast Airlines was an American airline based in Boston, Massachusetts. They began as Boston-Maine Airways, which was founded as a Pan Am contract carrier on July 20, 1931, by the Boston and Maine Railroad and Maine Central Railroad offering service from Boston to Bangor via Portland...
from 1946 until 1961 when it was acquired by Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines
Lake Central Airlines was an airline that served points in the midwestern United States from 1950 to 1968, when it was merged into Allegheny Airlines. Founded as Roscoe Turner Airlines, the company was based at Weir-Cook Airport in Indianapolis, IN. It serviced communities principally in...
. Later it flew for Red Baron Airlines
Red Baron Airlines
-History:Red Baron Airlines was a small U.S. regional airline based out of Palm Beach International Airport and operating solely within Florida. It was started as a joint venture between Clive E. Roberson and Rudolph P. Scheerer. It was a member of the Commuter Airline Association of America...
and finally for Florida Commuter Airlines
Florida Commuter Airlines
Florida Commuter Airlines was a small U.S. regional airline based out of Palm Beach International Airport that evolved directly from Roberson Air, Inc. which did business as Red Baron Airlines. This happened when Dr. Rudolph P. Scheerer bought out Dr. Clive E. Roberson for a 100% stake in the...
.
Aftermath
A committee called the Raise the Plane Committee made plans to locate the aircraft and recover it from an estimated depth of 1800 feet. The recovery effort was abandoned after the committee was unable to secure enough money to locate the plane.The NTSB report would later determine that the method used to clear the pitot tubes was an "...improper maintenance procedure" and may have contributed to the crash. The chief mechanic, Sam DeThomas, used a small screwdriver and a coat hanger instead of the required procedure to remove the mud dauber nest. DeThomas said the reason he didn't follow the proper procedure (which required disconnecting instruments from the panel and blowing compressed air through the pitot tubes) was due to the passenger's impatience. DeThomas told investigators that "I had the problem of people screaming that they wanted to get back on the airplane - not get back on the airplane, but they wanted to go"
The Airline was insured by Aviation Insurance Co., a representative of Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
. Coverage included aircraft liability, property damage , bodily injury to passengers, and damage to passenger's property. Several of the passenger's families sued the airline, but later reluctantly settled for $35,000 per passenger. The mother of Mary McNamara later stated that "I feel badly about it, but we couldn't go through any more. Answering all those questions...They (attorneys for the insurance compnay) made us feel like she was someone who rented a room from us. I cannot tell you what she meant to me. A beautiful young girl walked out the door and was brutally murdered"