Lockheed L-188 Electra
Encyclopedia
The Lockheed Model 188 Electra is an American turboprop
airliner built by Lockheed
. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design defect, no further orders were placed. The type was soon replaced by turbojet airliners but many were modified as freighters and the type continues to operate in various roles into the 21st Century. The airframe was also used as the basis for the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.
and was approached by Capital Airlines
to develop a turboprop airliner, but with no interest from other American carriers the company did not produce a design and Capital went on to order 60 British Vickers Viscount
four-engined turboprop airliners. In 1954 the company offered a twin-engined design, the CL-303, to meet an American Airlines requirement; it was a high-wing design for 60 to 70 passengers but again the design failed to interest other carriers.
American Airlines then revised its requirement and specified a four-engine design for 75 passengers and a range of 2000 miles (3220 km). To meet this Lockheed proposed a new design, the CL-310 with a low wing and either four Rolls-Royce Dart
s or Napier Eland
s. The CL-310 design met the American Airlines requirement but Eastern Airlines wanted an aircraft with more range and 85 to 90 seats. Lockheed modified and enlarged the CL-310 design to use the Allison 501-D13, a civilian version of the T56 originally developed for the prototype Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport.
This design was launched as the Model 188 with an order for 35 aircraft by American Airlines on June 8, 1955, this was followed by an Eastern Airlines order for 40 on September 27, 1955. The first aircraft took 26 months to complete and by that time Lockheed had orders for 129 aircraft. The prototype, a Model 188A, first flew on December 6, 1957. and a was awarded a type certificate
by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) on 22 August 1958. The first delivery was to Eastern Airlines on October 8, 1958 although it did not enter service until January 1959.
In 1957 the United States Navy
issued a requirement for an advanced maritime patrol aircraft. Lockheed proposed a development of the Electra which was later placed into production as the P-3 Orion, which saw much greater success. The Orion approaches nearly 50 years of front-line service.
was the launch customer, followed by Eastern Airlines and Braniff Airways. The Electra suffered a troubled start in service. Passengers of early aircraft complained of high noise levels in the cabin forward of the wings, caused by propeller resonance. To solve this problem, Lockheed redesigned the engine nacelles to tilt the engines upwards by three degrees. The changes were incorporated on the production line by mid-1959 or as modification kits for the aircraft already built, and resulted in much-improved performance as well as increased passenger comfort. Much worse, three aircraft were lost in fatal accidents in 14 months between February 1959 and March 1960. Following the third crash the FAA restricted the maximum speed at which Electras could be flown until the cause could be determined.
After an extensive investigation, two of the crashes (in September 1959 and March 1960) were found to be caused by an engine mount problem. The mounts were not strong enough to dampen a whirling mode that affected the outboard engine nacelles. When the oscillation was transmitted to the wings, a severe up-and-down vibration escalated until the wings would tear themselves off the aircraft. The company implemented an expensive modification program labelled the Lockheed Electra Achievement Program or LEAP, in which the engine mounts and the wing structures supporting the mounts were strengthened, and some of the wing skins replaced with thicker material. Each of the survivors of the 145 Electras built to that time was modified at Lockheed's expense at the factory, the modifications taking 20 days for each aircraft; and the changes were incorporated in subsequent aircraft as they were built. However the damage had been done, the public lost confidence in the type; this and the smaller jets that were being introduced eventually relegated Electras to only the smallest airlines. Production ended in 1961 after only 170 aircraft had been built. Losses to Lockheed have been estimated as high as $57 million, not counting an additional $55 million in lawsuits. Although their use continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s for passenger operations, most of the aircraft currently in service are operated as freighters.
Many airlines in the US flew Electras, but the only European airline to order the type was KLM. In the South Pacific, Tasman Empire Airways Limited
(TEAL) and its successor Air New Zealand
flew the Electra. In Australia Trans Australia Airlines
(TAA) and Ansett
each operated three Electras on the trunk routes between the Australian mainland state capital cities, and later to Port Moresby
, from 1959 until 1971. Ansett had its three Electras converted to freighters in 1970-71 and continued to fly them until 1984. Qantas
also operated four Electras on its routes to Hong Kong and Japan; to New Caledonia
; and to New Guinea
(until the New Guinea route was handed to Ansett and TAA); then later across the Indian Ocean to South Africa, and across the Tasman in competition with TEAL after that airline became 100% New Zealand-owned. The divestiture of TEAL's 50%-Australian shareholding was itself prompted by the Electra order, as TEAL wanted jet aircraft, but was forced by the Australian government to order Electras instead to standardise with Qantas. Three of Qantas' Electras were retired in the mid-1960s and the fourth in 1971.
Some Electras were sold to South American airlines, including Bolivian
airline Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano
—the Electra allowed Lloyd Aéreo to fly non-stop to international destinations until it took delivery of its first jet airliner—and Varig
, operating the Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo shuttle service (the so-called Ponte Aérea - air bridge, in Portuguese) before its Electras were sold to Zaire in 1992. Others were retired from passenger service into air cargo use, 40 airframes being modified by a subsidiary of Lockheed from 1968 with either one or two large doors in the left side of the fuselage and a reinforced cabin floor.
bought three Electras equipped with cargo doors. These were used during the "Dirty War
" to toss political prisoners into the Rio de La Plata
, in the infamous death flights
. The Electras were also used in transport duties during the Falklands War in 1982.
In 1983, after the retirement of its last SP-2H Neptunes the Argentine Navy bought further civilian Electra airframes, modified several for maritime patrol
, and widely used them until their replacement by P-3s in 1994. One of the Argentine Navy's Electras, known locally as L-188W Electron (for electronic warfare
), is preserved at the Argentine Naval Aviation Museum (MUAN) at Bahía Blanca
.
L-188AF (All Freight version)
L-188PF (Passenger-Freight version)
L-188CF
YP-3A Orion
(4) operating cargo variants and Trans Service Airlift
operating a passenger 188A. As of July 2011, only freighter and firefighting airtankers
remained in service. Atlantic Airlines operated three and Buffalo Airways four, while another 13 Electras were registered to Canadian company Air Spray, converted into airtankers with a 3000 US gallon capacity tank; and two to Conair Group, also configured as airtankers.
Hong Kong
Model 188C
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
airliner built by Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
. First flying in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner produced in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes which prompted an expensive modification program to fix a design defect, no further orders were placed. The type was soon replaced by turbojet airliners but many were modified as freighters and the type continues to operate in various roles into the 21st Century. The airframe was also used as the basis for the Lockheed P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.
Development
Lockheed had established a strong position in airliner production with its piston-engined Constellation seriesLockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
and was approached by Capital Airlines
Capital Airlines
Capital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern United States that merged into United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. In the 1950s it was the largest US domestic carrier after the Big Four . Its...
to develop a turboprop airliner, but with no interest from other American carriers the company did not produce a design and Capital went on to order 60 British Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
four-engined turboprop airliners. In 1954 the company offered a twin-engined design, the CL-303, to meet an American Airlines requirement; it was a high-wing design for 60 to 70 passengers but again the design failed to interest other carriers.
American Airlines then revised its requirement and specified a four-engine design for 75 passengers and a range of 2000 miles (3220 km). To meet this Lockheed proposed a new design, the CL-310 with a low wing and either four Rolls-Royce Dart
Rolls-Royce Dart
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
s or Napier Eland
Napier Eland
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
s. The CL-310 design met the American Airlines requirement but Eastern Airlines wanted an aircraft with more range and 85 to 90 seats. Lockheed modified and enlarged the CL-310 design to use the Allison 501-D13, a civilian version of the T56 originally developed for the prototype Lockheed C-130 Hercules military transport.
This design was launched as the Model 188 with an order for 35 aircraft by American Airlines on June 8, 1955, this was followed by an Eastern Airlines order for 40 on September 27, 1955. The first aircraft took 26 months to complete and by that time Lockheed had orders for 129 aircraft. The prototype, a Model 188A, first flew on December 6, 1957. and a was awarded a type certificate
Type certificate
A Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft, engine, or propeller has fulfilled the regulating bodies' current prevailing airworthiness requirements for the safe conduct of...
by the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) on 22 August 1958. The first delivery was to Eastern Airlines on October 8, 1958 although it did not enter service until January 1959.
In 1957 the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
issued a requirement for an advanced maritime patrol aircraft. Lockheed proposed a development of the Electra which was later placed into production as the P-3 Orion, which saw much greater success. The Orion approaches nearly 50 years of front-line service.
Design
The Model 188 Electra is a low-wing cantilever monoplane powered by four wing-mounted Allison 501-D13 turboprops. It has a retractable nose-wheel landing gear and a conventional tailplane. It has a cockpit crew of three and can carry 66 to 80 passengers in a mixed-class arrangement, although 98 could be carried in a high-density configuration. The first variant was the Model 188A which was followed by the longer-range Model 188C with increased fuel load and a higher take-off weight.Civil operations
American AirlinesAmerican 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...
was the launch customer, followed by Eastern Airlines and Braniff Airways. The Electra suffered a troubled start in service. Passengers of early aircraft complained of high noise levels in the cabin forward of the wings, caused by propeller resonance. To solve this problem, Lockheed redesigned the engine nacelles to tilt the engines upwards by three degrees. The changes were incorporated on the production line by mid-1959 or as modification kits for the aircraft already built, and resulted in much-improved performance as well as increased passenger comfort. Much worse, three aircraft were lost in fatal accidents in 14 months between February 1959 and March 1960. Following the third crash the FAA restricted the maximum speed at which Electras could be flown until the cause could be determined.
After an extensive investigation, two of the crashes (in September 1959 and March 1960) were found to be caused by an engine mount problem. The mounts were not strong enough to dampen a whirling mode that affected the outboard engine nacelles. When the oscillation was transmitted to the wings, a severe up-and-down vibration escalated until the wings would tear themselves off the aircraft. The company implemented an expensive modification program labelled the Lockheed Electra Achievement Program or LEAP, in which the engine mounts and the wing structures supporting the mounts were strengthened, and some of the wing skins replaced with thicker material. Each of the survivors of the 145 Electras built to that time was modified at Lockheed's expense at the factory, the modifications taking 20 days for each aircraft; and the changes were incorporated in subsequent aircraft as they were built. However the damage had been done, the public lost confidence in the type; this and the smaller jets that were being introduced eventually relegated Electras to only the smallest airlines. Production ended in 1961 after only 170 aircraft had been built. Losses to Lockheed have been estimated as high as $57 million, not counting an additional $55 million in lawsuits. Although their use continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s for passenger operations, most of the aircraft currently in service are operated as freighters.
Many airlines in the US flew Electras, but the only European airline to order the type was KLM. In the South Pacific, Tasman Empire Airways Limited
TEAL
Tasman Empire Airways Limited was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940....
(TEAL) and its successor Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
flew the Electra. In Australia Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines
Trans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
(TAA) and Ansett
Ansett Australia
Ansett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
each operated three Electras on the trunk routes between the Australian mainland state capital cities, and later to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
, from 1959 until 1971. Ansett had its three Electras converted to freighters in 1970-71 and continued to fly them until 1984. Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
also operated four Electras on its routes to Hong Kong and Japan; to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
; and to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
(until the New Guinea route was handed to Ansett and TAA); then later across the Indian Ocean to South Africa, and across the Tasman in competition with TEAL after that airline became 100% New Zealand-owned. The divestiture of TEAL's 50%-Australian shareholding was itself prompted by the Electra order, as TEAL wanted jet aircraft, but was forced by the Australian government to order Electras instead to standardise with Qantas. Three of Qantas' Electras were retired in the mid-1960s and the fourth in 1971.
Some Electras were sold to South American airlines, including Bolivian
Bolivian
Bolivian may refer to:* Something of, or related to Bolivia** Demographics of Bolivia** Culture of BoliviaBolivian is a citizen of Bolivia...
airline Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano S.A. was an airline serving as flag carrier of Bolivia. It operated domestic and international flights, aiming at passenger as well as cargo transport. LAB was active for more than 80 years, having been based in Cochabamba most of the time, with Cochabamba Airport being an...
—the Electra allowed Lloyd Aéreo to fly non-stop to international destinations until it took delivery of its first jet airliner—and Varig
Varig
VARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
, operating the Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo shuttle service (the so-called Ponte Aérea - air bridge, in Portuguese) before its Electras were sold to Zaire in 1992. Others were retired from passenger service into air cargo use, 40 airframes being modified by a subsidiary of Lockheed from 1968 with either one or two large doors in the left side of the fuselage and a reinforced cabin floor.
Military use
In 1973, the Argentine NavyArgentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
bought three Electras equipped with cargo doors. These were used during the "Dirty War
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
" to toss political prisoners into the Rio de La Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
, in the infamous death flights
Death flights
The death flights were a form of forced disappearance routinely practiced during the Argentine "Dirty War", begun by Admiral Luis María Mendía. Victims of death flights were first drugged into a stupor, hustled aboard fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, stripped naked and pushed into the Río de la...
. The Electras were also used in transport duties during the Falklands War in 1982.
In 1983, after the retirement of its last SP-2H Neptunes the Argentine Navy bought further civilian Electra airframes, modified several for maritime patrol
Maritime patrol
Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities....
, and widely used them until their replacement by P-3s in 1994. One of the Argentine Navy's Electras, known locally as L-188W Electron (for electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
), is preserved at the Argentine Naval Aviation Museum (MUAN) at Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
.
Variants
- Initial production version
L-188AF (All Freight version)
- Unofficial designation for freighter conversions of L-188A carried out under a supplementary type certificate.
L-188PF (Passenger-Freight version)
- Unofficial designation for freighter conversions of L-188A carried out under a supplementary type certificate.
- Long-range version with increased fuel capacity (6,940 gallon fuel capacity from 5,450 gallons on L-188A) and a higher operating gross weight (Maximum takeoff weight is 116,000 lb compared to 113,000 lb of the "A" version)
L-188CF
- Unofficial designation for freighter conversion of L-188C carried out under a supplementary type certificate.
YP-3A Orion
- One Orion aerodynamic test bed, fuselage shortened by seven feet.
Current operators
As of August 2010 a total of 11 Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft (all variants) were reported in airline service, with Atlantic Airlines (7) and Buffalo AirwaysBuffalo Airways
Buffalo Airways is a family-run airline based in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada established in 1970 by Joe McBryan, also known as "Buffalo Joe". It operates scheduled passenger, scheduled cargo, charter passenger, charter cargo, firefighting and fuel services...
(4) operating cargo variants and Trans Service Airlift
Trans Service Airlift
Trans Service Airlift was an airline based at N'djili Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was privately owned and operated in years 1991-1998.- Incidents and accidents :...
operating a passenger 188A. As of July 2011, only freighter and firefighting airtankers
Aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
remained in service. Atlantic Airlines operated three and Buffalo Airways four, while another 13 Electras were registered to Canadian company Air Spray, converted into airtankers with a 3000 US gallon capacity tank; and two to Conair Group, also configured as airtankers.
Civil operators
- Ansett AirlinesAnsett AustraliaAnsett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
- QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
- Trans Australia AirlinesTrans Australia AirlinesTrans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
- Amerer AirAmerer AirAmerer Air is a cargo airline based in Linz, Austria. It is Austria's largest dedicated cargo airline operating services from Linz and Cologne throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Its main base is Linz Airport.- History :...
- Lloyd Aéreo BolivianoLloyd Aéreo BolivianoLloyd Aéreo Boliviano S.A. was an airline serving as flag carrier of Bolivia. It operated domestic and international flights, aiming at passenger as well as cargo transport. LAB was active for more than 80 years, having been based in Cochabamba most of the time, with Cochabamba Airport being an...
- VARIGVarigVARIG was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil's leading and almost only international airline...
- Air Spray (aerial firefightingAerial firefightingAerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
) - Buffalo AirwaysBuffalo AirwaysBuffalo Airways is a family-run airline based in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada established in 1970 by Joe McBryan, also known as "Buffalo Joe". It operates scheduled passenger, scheduled cargo, charter passenger, charter cargo, firefighting and fuel services...
- Conair Group (aerial firefighting)
- Northwest Territorial Airways
- NordairNordairNordair is a defunct Quebec-based regional airline founded in 1947 from the merger of Boreal Airways and Mont Laurier Aviation. The airline operated from the 1950s to the 1980s. Most of its business was international and transatlantic passenger and freight charters and other contracts. It also...
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- Trans Service AirliftTrans Service AirliftTrans Service Airlift was an airline based at N'djili Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was privately owned and operated in years 1991-1998.- Incidents and accidents :...
- LacsaLacsaLacsa , is the national airline of Costa Rica and is based in San José. It operates international scheduled services to over 35 destinations in Central, North and South America. All international services are now operated by Grupo TACA...
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- TACA International Airlines
- Guyana AirwaysGuyana AirwaysGuyana Airways was the national airline of Guyana from 1973 to 2001. During this period, it operated services to destinations throughout the Caribbean, the U.S. and Canada. It was declared insolvent in 2001....
- SAHSASahsaServicio Aéreo de Honduras SA otherwise known as SAHSA Airlines was the national flag carrier airline of Honduras from October 22, 1945 to January 14, 1994...
Hong Kong
- Cathay Pacific AirwaysCathay PacificCathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
- Garuda Indonesia AirlinesGaruda IndonesiaPT Garuda Indonesia Tbk , publicly known as Garuda Indonesia, is the flag carrier of Indonesia. It is named after the mystical giant bird Garuda of Hinduism and Buddhist mythology. It is headquartered at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia...
- Mandala AirlinesMandala AirlinesMandala Airlines was a low-cost airline headquartered in the Mandala Airlines Building in West Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. Mandala operated scheduled services to 3 international and 17 domestic destinations, used a fleet of narrow body Airbuses. Its main operational base was Soekarno-Hatta...
- Hunting Cargo AirlinesAir ContractorsAir Contractors Limited is a freight airline. It operates scheduled freight services throughout Europe on behalf of major integrators such as FedEx Feeder and DHL Express...
- Royal Air Lao
- Banco de México (corporate aircraft)
- KLM
- Air ALMAir ALMALM Antillean Airlines was the main airline of the Netherlands Antilles between its foundation in 1964 and its shut-down in 2001, operating out of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao....
- Fred Olsen Air TransportFred Olsen Air TransportFred Olsen Air Transport was based in Norway and operated between 1946 and 1997.-Company history:The airline was set up in June 1946 as a subsidiary of Fred. Olsen & Co.. Initially, freight and passenger charter flights were conducted using Douglas DC-3, frequently carrying ships crews...
- Air New ZealandAir New ZealandAir New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
- TEALTEALTasman Empire Airways Limited was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940....
- Copa AirlinesCopa AirlinesCompañía Panameña de Aviación, S.A., operating as Copa Airlines ', is an airline based in Panama City, Panama, and serves as Panama's flag carrier...
- Líneas Aéreas ParaguayasLíneas Aéreas ParaguayasLíneas Aéreas Paraguayas - Air Paraguay was founded in 1963 to be the flag carrier airline of Paraguay. Its main base was Silvio Pettirossi International Airport, in Asunción.-Company history:...
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- Air Manila International
- Falcon AirFalcon AirFalcon Air was a cargo and passenger airline based in Malmö, Sweden. It operated mail transport services at night and day flights on contract for FlyMe. Its main base was Malmö Airport.Tha airline ceased operations in 2006.- History :...
- Winner Airways (one 188A leased from Eastern Air LinesEastern Air LinesEastern 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:...
for only 2 months in 1970)
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- Atlantic Airlines
- Channel ExpressChannel ExpressChannel Express was an airline based in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. It operated scheduled services from Bournemouth to the Channel Islands and nightly cargo services to Europe and throughout the UK on behalf of Royal Mail and other overnight express carriers...
- Air CaliforniaAir CaliforniaAir California, later AirCal, was a regional airline using mainline equipment and serving different points in the state of California and some neighboring western U.S. states. It was founded by a partnership of Orange County businessmen as an alternative to other airlines and what was left of the...
- Air FloridaAir FloridaAir Florida was an American low-cost carrier that operated from 1971 to 1984. In 1975 it was headquartered in the Dadeland Towers in what is now the Kendall CDP in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
- Air Holiday
- American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican 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...
- Braniff Airways
- Denver Ports of CallDenver Ports of CallDenver Ports of Call is a defunct United States private airline which operated flights for the Denver-based Ports of Call Travel Club from 1967 to 1986. In its heyday, Ports of Call was the largest travel club in the United States, with 29,000 members....
- Eastern Air LinesEastern Air LinesEastern 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:...
- Evergreen International AirlinesEvergreen International AirlinesEvergreen International Airlines is a cargo airline based in McMinnville, Oregon, USA. It operates contract freight services, offering charters and scheduled flights, as well as wet lease services. It operates services for the U.S. military and the United States Postal Service, as well as ad hoc...
- Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
- Fairbanks Air Service
- Great Northern Airlines
- Hawaiian AirlinesHawaiian AirlinesHawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a major airline of the United States. It is the largest airline based in the State of Hawai'i, and is the 11th largest commercial airline in the country. Based in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, the airline operates its main hub at Honolulu International...
- Intermountain AirlinesIntermountain AirlinesIntermountain Airlines, also known as Intermountain Aviation and Intermountain Airways, was a CIA airline front company. Intermountain performed covert operations for the CIA in Southeast Asia and elsewhere during the Vietnam War era....
- Johnson International Airlines
- McCulloch International Airlines
- NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
- National AirlinesNational 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
- Overseas National AirwaysOverseas National AirwaysThe original Overseas National Airways was an American airline, formed in June 1950 as a supplemental carrier. It ceased operations on September 14, 1978. A second related company, took the name in 1978, later renaming to National Airlines, going bankrupt in 1986.- History - First ONA :ONA was...
- Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
- Reeve Aleutian AirwaysReeve Aleutian AirwaysReeve Aleutian Airways was an airline headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. It ceased operations on December 5, 2000.-Founding:...
- Saturn AirwaysSaturn AirwaysSaturn Airways was a US "supplemental carrier", i.e. a charter airline. It operated from 1948 until 1976. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California.- History :The airline was initially known as All American Airways and used Curtiss C-46...
- Shillelagh Travel Club
- Southeast AirlinesSoutheast AirlinesSoutheast Airlines was a low fare public charter airline in the United States, headquartered in Largo, Florida, operating regular service to various vacation/leisure destinations using eight Douglas DC-9 and two McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft...
- TPI International Airways
- Western Air Lines
- Zantop International AirlinesZantop International AirlinesZantop International Airlines, Inc., was incorporated in May, 1972 as a Michigan corporation, the stock of which was 100% owned by the Zantop family. The same persons had formerly operated Zantop Flying Service and Zantop Air Transport.-History:...
- Karibu AirwaysKaribu AirwaysKaribu Airways was an airline in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It stood on the List of air carriers banned in the EU. Due to two plane crashes in 2007 the confidence in the airline was lost. subsequently, all operations came to a halt...
- Trans Service AirliftTrans Service AirliftTrans Service Airlift was an airline based at N'djili Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was privately owned and operated in years 1991-1998.- Incidents and accidents :...
Military operators
- Argentine Naval AviationArgentine Naval AviationThe Argentine Naval Aviation is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands...
- Bolivian Air ForceBolivian Air ForceThe Bolivian Air Force is part of the Military of Bolivia.-History:By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft , and about 300 staff; the officers were...
- TAMETameTame may refer to:*Taming, the act of domesticating wild animals*River Tame, Greater Manchester*River Tame, West Midlands and the Tame Valley*Tame, Arauca, a Colombian town and municipality...
- Honduran Air ForceHonduran Air ForceThe Honduras Air Force is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduras Armed Forces.-History:...
- one 188A from 1979
- Mexican Air ForceMexican Air ForceThe Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
- one 188A from 1978 to 1987.
- Panamanian Air Force - One 188C from 1973 to 1984.
Orders
Model 188A- Eastern Airlines ordered 40 188As which were delivered between November 1958 and August 1959, the last five as 188Cs.
- American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican 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...
ordered 35 188As which were delivered between November 1958 and March 1960. - National AirlinesNational 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 :...
ordered 14 188As which were delivered between April 1959 and January 1961. - Ansett-ANAAnsett AustraliaAnsett Australia, Ansett, Ansett Airlines of Australia, or ANSETT-ANA as it was commonly known in earlier years, was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airlines flew domestically within Australia and to destinations in Asia during its operation in 1996...
ordered three 188As which were delivered to Australia in February 1959, April 1959 and February 1960. - Braniff ordered nine 188As which were delivered between April 1959 and January 1960.
- Western AirlinesWestern AirlinesWestern Airlines was a large airline based in California, with operations throughout the Western United States, and hubs at Los Angeles International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver...
ordered 12 188As which were delivered between May 1959 and February 1961. - Trans Australia AirlinesTrans Australia AirlinesTrans Australia Airlines or TAA, was one of the two major Australian domestic airlines between its inception in 1946 and its sale to Qantas in May 1996. During that period TAA played a major part in the development of the Australian air transport industry...
ordered three 188As which were delivered to Australia between June 1959 and August 1960. - General MotorsGeneral MotorsGeneral Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
ordered one 188A which was delivered in July 1958.
Model 188C
- Northwest Orient Airlines ordered 18 188Cs which were delivered between July 1959 and June 1961.
- Pacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest AirlinesPacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
ordered three 188Cs which were delivered in November and December 1959. - Capital AirlinesCapital AirlinesCapital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern United States that merged into United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. In the 1950s it was the largest US domestic carrier after the Big Four . Its...
ordered five 188Cs but later cancelled the order, the five aircraft were sold to other operators. - QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
ordered four 188Cs which were delivered to Australia between October and December 1959. - KLM ordered 12 188Cs which were delivered to the Netherlands between September 1959 and December 1960.
- Tasman Empire AirwaysTEALTasman Empire Airways Limited was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. It was first registered in Wellington as a limited liability company on 26 April 1940....
ordered three 188Cs which were delivered to New Zealand in October and December 1959. - GarudaGaruda IndonesiaPT Garuda Indonesia Tbk , publicly known as Garuda Indonesia, is the flag carrier of Indonesia. It is named after the mystical giant bird Garuda of Hinduism and Buddhist mythology. It is headquartered at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, near Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia...
ordered three 188Cs which were delivered to Indonesia in January 1961.
Accidents and incidents
Of the total of 170 Electras built, as of June 2011 58 have been written off because of crashes and other accidents.- On February 3, 1959, American Airlines Flight 320American Airlines Flight 320American Airlines Flight 320, registration N6101A, was a Lockheed L-188A Electra en route from Chicago Midway International Airport to New York City's LaGuardia Airport on February 3, 1959. It crashed into the East River on approach; 65 of the 73 on board died. It was the first crash for the...
en route from Chicago to New York City crashed on approach, killing 65 of 73 on board. - On September 29, 1959, a BraniffBraniff International AirwaysBraniff International Airways was an American airline that operated from 1928 until 1982, primarily in the midwestern and southwestern U.S., South America, Panama, and in its later years also Asia and Europe...
Electra (Braniff Flight 542Braniff Flight 542Braniff Airways Flight 542, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, registration N9705C, was a scheduled domestic flight from Houston, Texas, bound for New York with scheduled stops in Dallas and Washington, D.C....
) crashed in Buffalo, TexasBuffalo, TexasThis article is about the city in Leon County, Texas. A similarly named place exists in Henderson County, Texas, the settlement of John H. Reagan.Buffalo is a city in Leon County, Texas, United States...
en route to Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
from Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. All Twenty-nine passengers and five crew members died in the crash. The Civil Aeronautics Board blamed the crash on the "whirl-mode" prop theory and in-flight separation of a wing from the aircraft. - Just under six months later, on March 17, 1960, an Electra operated as Northwest Orient Flight 710, en route from Chicago to Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, broke apart in flight over Perry County, IndianaPerry County, IndianaPerry County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 19,338. The county seat is Tell City. It is the hilliest county as well as one of the most forested counties of in Indiana as it features more than of Hoosier National Forest...
, in the second "whirl-mode" crash. All 63 people on board were killed (57 passengers and six crew members). - On October 4, 1960, Eastern Air Lines Flight 375Eastern Air Lines Flight 375Eastern Air Lines Flight 375, registration N5533, was a Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft that crashed on takeoff from Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts on October 4, 1960. 62 of 72 on board were killed in the accident; ten survived, nine with serious injuries.N5533 and its crew...
crashed on takeoff from Boston, Massachusetts's Logan International AirportLogan International AirportGeneral Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
, killing 62 of 72 on board. The crash was eventually determined to be the result of bird ingestion in three engines rather than structural failure. - On June 12, 1961, KLM Flight 823KLM Flight 823KLM Flight 823 was an air accident involving a Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft that crashed on approach to Cairo International Airport in Egypt after a flight from Rome in Italy...
crashed short of the runway at CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
killing 20 out of the 36 on board. - On September 17, 1961, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706, registration N137US, was a Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft which crashed on take-off from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport September 17, 1961. All 37 on board were killed in the accident....
crashed on takeoff from Chicago-O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
, killing all 37 on board. The crash was eventually determined to be the result of mechanical failure in the aileron primary control system due to an improper replacement of the aileron boost assembly. - On April 22, 1966, an American Flyers AirlineAmerican Flyers AirlineAmerican Flyers Airline Corporation was a United States "supplemental" charter airline that operated from 1949 to 1971.- History :The airline initially started in Fort Worth with Douglas DC-3 aircraft. From 1960 to 1967 it took delivery of fifteen Lockheed Constellation and Lockheed L-188 Electra...
L-188 crashed into a hill on approach to Ardmore Municipal AirportArdmore Municipal AirportArdmore Municipal Airport , also known as Ardmore Industrial Airpark, is a general aviation airport located 10 miles northeast of the central business district of Ardmore, cities in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States....
, killing all 5 crew and 78 of the 93 passengers on board. - On February 16, 1967, Garuda Indonesia Airways Flight 708Garuda Indonesia Airways Flight 708Garuda Indonesia Airways Flight 708 was a scheduled passenger flight on 16 February 1967 which crashed on landing at Manado capital of the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. 22 of the 84 passengers on board were killed. All eight crew members survived....
crashed while attempting to land at Manado-Sam Ratulangi Airport. 22 of 92 passengers and crew on board were killed. The crash was eventually determined to be the result of an awkward landing technique resulting in an excessive rate of sink on touchdown. Marginal weather at the time of landing was a contributing factor. - On May 3, 1968, Braniff Flight 352Braniff Flight 352Braniff International Airways Flight 352 was a scheduled domestic flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, United States to Dallas, Texas; on May 3, 1968 a Lockheed L-188A Electra flying on the route, registration N9707C, broke up in mid air and crashed near Dawson, Texas after...
, which was en route from HoustonHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to DallasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, disintegrated over Dawson, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. All 80 passengers and five crew members were killed. This was the worst air disaster in TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
at the time. The Probable CauseProbable causeIn United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. It is also used to refer to the...
found by the National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety BoardThe National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
was excessive loads put upon the aircraft structure while attempting to recover from an unusual attitude resulting from loss of control in thunderstormThunderstormA thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
turbulenceTurbulenceIn fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
; the operation in the turbulence resulted from a decision to penetrate an area of known severe weather. - On August 9, 1970, LANSA Flight 502 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 99 of the 100 people on board, plus two people on the ground.
- On December 24, 1971, LANSA Flight 508LANSA Flight 508LANSA Flight 508 was a Lockheed L-188A Electra turboprop, registered OB-R-941, operated as a scheduled domestic passenger flight by Lineas Aéreas Nacionales Sociedad Anonima , that crashed in a thunderstorm en route from Lima, Peru to Pucallpa, Peru, on December 24, 1971, killing 91 people –...
, which was en route from Lima to Pucallpa, Peru, entered an area of strong turbulence and lightning and disintegrated in mid air due to structural failure following a lightning strike and fire. Of the 92 people on board, 91 were killed. One passenger, Juliane Koepcke, survived the crash. - On June 4, 1976, an Air Manila 188A (RP-C1061) crashed just after takeoff from the Guam Naval Air Station, killing the 45 occupants and one person on the ground.
- On January 21, 1985 chartered Galaxy Airlines Flight 203Galaxy Airlines Flight 203Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 was a Lockheed L-188 Electra 4-engine turboprop, registration N5532, operating as a non-scheduled charter flight from Reno, Nevada, to Minneapolis, Minnesota...
crashed after takeoff from Reno-Cannon International Airport en-route to Minneapolis, Minnesota with 71 people on board. - On December 18, 1995, an overloaded 188C of Trans Service Airlift crashed near Cahungula, AngolaTrans Service Airlift Lockheed L-188 crashThe Trans Service Airlift Lockheed L-188 crash occurred on 18 December 1995 when a Lockheed L-188C Electra owned by Trans Service Airlift crashed shortly after takeoff from Jamba Airport , Angola, killing 141 of the passengers and crew....
with the loss of 141 of the 144 occupants.