Pan Am Flight 1104
Encyclopedia
Pan Am Flight 1104, Trip No. 62100, was a Martin M-130
flying boat
nicknamed the Philippine Clipper that crashed on the morning of January 21, 1943 in Northern California
. The aircraft was operated by Pan American World Airways
, and at the time of the crash was transporting ten US Navy
personnel from Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
to San Francisco, California
. The aircraft crashed in poor weather into mountainous terrain approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of Ukiah, California
due to pilot error
.
aircraft specially designed for Pan American World Airways
by the Glenn L. Martin Company
. The aircraft were purpose built as trans-Pacific airliners, and sold for $417,000 each. At the time, the M-130 was the largest aircraft built in the United States. The Philippine Clipper entered service with Pan American in 1936, and inaugurated passenger service between the United States and Hong Kong on October 14, 1936.
During World War II, the Philippine Clipper and sister ship China Clipper
were pressed into service to serve the Navy's ocean transportation needs, though they remained crewed by Pan American personnel. At the time of the crash, the aircraft had logged 14,628 hours of flight time, had flown the Pacific Ocean for eight years, and had survived strafing by Japanese aircraft on Wake Island
on December 8, 1941.
on the island of Oahu
in the Hawaiian islands
at 5:30 PM on January 20, 1943. The 9-man Pan Am crew consisted of four pilots, three engineers, two radio operators, and a steward. The flight was captained by Robert M. Elzey. By mid-January 1943, Captain Elzey had accumulated approximately 4,941 flying hours, of which 3,359 were while in the employ of Pan American.
The ten passengers on board the flight were all U.S. naval officers. Among them was Rear-Admiral Robert H. English
, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Submarine Fleet
, the submarine component of the United States Pacific Fleet
. Rear-Admiral English planned to visit submarine support facilities at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
bordering San Pablo Bay
, and was accompanied by three of his senior staff officers. Also on board was Captain
Robert Holmes Smith
, formerly in command of the USS Sperry (AS-12)
submarine tender, and recently promoted to Commander of Squadron 2, Pacific Submarine Fleet.
Up until the crash, the flight was routine, as evidenced by radio transmissions during the night. A strong tailwind put the flight three and a half hours ahead of schedule.
On the morning of January 21, 1943, the aircraft ran into poor weather conditions as it flew north over California towards San Francisco. Heavy rain, strong winds, and thick cloud cover and fog forced the captain to descend to a lower altitude. At 7:30 AM, the far off-course aircraft crashed into a mountain at approximately 2500 feet (762 m), descending at an angle of 10 degrees, whereupon it clipped a number of trees before crashing, breaking up, and burning. Over a week passed before the wreckage was located, and after it was found the area was cordoned off by soldiers to protect any surviving highly classified military documents that may have been carried aboard.
The Civil Aeronautics Board investigated the crash and ultimately determined that the probable cause of the accident was due to pilot error.
, in San Carlos, California
, is situated very near the flight's destination, San Francisco Bay
. A memorial plaque to the aircraft sits outside the entrance to the museum. The memorial plaque includes a brief history of the aircraft, as well as a list of casualties.
Martin M-130
|-See also:-External links:* at the University of Miami Library*...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
nicknamed the Philippine Clipper that crashed on the morning of January 21, 1943 in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. The aircraft was operated by 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...
, and at the time of the crash was transporting ten US 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...
personnel from Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. The aircraft crashed in poor weather into mountainous terrain approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of Ukiah, California
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
due to pilot error
Pilot error
Pilot error is a term used to describe the cause of an accident involving an airworthy aircraft where the pilot is considered to be principally or partially responsible...
.
Aircraft
The Philippine Clipper was one of three M-130 commercial flying boatFlying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
aircraft specially designed for 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...
by the Glenn L. Martin Company
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
. The aircraft were purpose built as trans-Pacific airliners, and sold for $417,000 each. At the time, the M-130 was the largest aircraft built in the United States. The Philippine Clipper entered service with Pan American in 1936, and inaugurated passenger service between the United States and Hong Kong on October 14, 1936.
During World War II, the Philippine Clipper and sister ship China Clipper
China Clipper
The China Clipper was the first of three Martin M-130 four-engine flying boats built for Pan American Airways and was used to inaugurate the first commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila in November, 1935. Built at a cost of $417,000 by the Glenn L...
were pressed into service to serve the Navy's ocean transportation needs, though they remained crewed by Pan American personnel. At the time of the crash, the aircraft had logged 14,628 hours of flight time, had flown the Pacific Ocean for eight years, and had survived strafing by Japanese aircraft on Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
on December 8, 1941.
Crash
Flight 1104 departed from Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in the Hawaiian islands
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
at 5:30 PM on January 20, 1943. The 9-man Pan Am crew consisted of four pilots, three engineers, two radio operators, and a steward. The flight was captained by Robert M. Elzey. By mid-January 1943, Captain Elzey had accumulated approximately 4,941 flying hours, of which 3,359 were while in the employ of Pan American.
Robert Henry English
Robert Henry English was a United States Navy Commissioned officer who commanded the U.S. Navy's submarine force in the Pacific Ocean early in World War II....
, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Submarine Fleet
ComSubPac
Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet is the principal advisor to the Commander, United States Pacific Fleet for submarine matters. The Pacific Submarine Force includes attack, ballistic missile and auxiliary submarines, submarine tenders, floating submarine docks, deep submergence...
, the submarine component of the United States Pacific Fleet
United States Pacific Fleet
The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...
. Rear-Admiral English planned to visit submarine support facilities at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
bordering San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay
San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in mid bay, which allows access to Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, Martinez, and...
, and was accompanied by three of his senior staff officers. Also on board was Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Robert Holmes Smith
Robert H. Smith (naval officer)
Robert Holmes Smith was an officer in the United States Navy during World War II.Born in Harrellsville, North Carolina, Smith graduated from the Naval Academy on 6 June 1919. After duty in various surface ships, he served with the Submarine Service for 17 years...
, formerly in command of the USS Sperry (AS-12)
USS Sperry (AS-12)
USS Sperry was a in the United States Navy. She was named for Elmer Sperry.Sperry was laid down on 1 February 1941 at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California; launched on 17 December 1941, just 10 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; sponsored by Mrs. Helen Sperry Lea, daughter...
submarine tender, and recently promoted to Commander of Squadron 2, Pacific Submarine Fleet.
Up until the crash, the flight was routine, as evidenced by radio transmissions during the night. A strong tailwind put the flight three and a half hours ahead of schedule.
On the morning of January 21, 1943, the aircraft ran into poor weather conditions as it flew north over California towards San Francisco. Heavy rain, strong winds, and thick cloud cover and fog forced the captain to descend to a lower altitude. At 7:30 AM, the far off-course aircraft crashed into a mountain at approximately 2500 feet (762 m), descending at an angle of 10 degrees, whereupon it clipped a number of trees before crashing, breaking up, and burning. Over a week passed before the wreckage was located, and after it was found the area was cordoned off by soldiers to protect any surviving highly classified military documents that may have been carried aboard.
The Civil Aeronautics Board investigated the crash and ultimately determined that the probable cause of the accident was due to pilot error.
Memorial
The Hiller Aviation MuseumHiller Aviation Museum
The Hiller Aviation Museum, located in San Carlos, California, USA at the San Carlos Airport, is an aircraft history museum. The museum was founded by Stanley Hiller, Jr., in June 1998. and is endowed by members of the Hiller Family . It specializes in Northern California aircraft history and...
, in San Carlos, California
San Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
, is situated very near the flight's destination, San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. A memorial plaque to the aircraft sits outside the entrance to the museum. The memorial plaque includes a brief history of the aircraft, as well as a list of casualties.
See also
- 1943 in aviation1943 in aviationThis is a list of aviation-related events from 1943:-Events:* Watanabe Iron Works transfers its aircraft manufacturing business to a new subsidiary, the Kyushu Airplane Company Ltd.-January:...
- China ClipperChina ClipperThe China Clipper was the first of three Martin M-130 four-engine flying boats built for Pan American Airways and was used to inaugurate the first commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila in November, 1935. Built at a cost of $417,000 by the Glenn L...
, the first of three Martin M-130 flying boats built for Pan Am. - Hawaii ClipperHawaii ClipperHawaii Clipper was one of three Pan American Airways Martin M-130 flying boats. It disappeared with 6 passengers and 9 crew en route from Guam to Manila, on July 28, 1938....
lost in 1938 - List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
External links
- Photo of Philippine Clipper NC-14715 flying over the Golden Gate Bridge in 1936 at sfmuseum.org
- Photo of Philippine Clipper afloat at findagrave.com
