1955 MacArthur Airport United Airlines

crash
On April 4, 1955, a United Airlines Douglas DC-6 named
Mainliner Idaho crashed shortly after taking o from
Long Island MacArthur Airport, in Ronkonkoma, Islip,
New York, United States. The aircraft, registration number N37512, was performing an instrument rating check
ight when it began banking to the right shortly after takeo. Seconds after climbing past 150 feet (46 m), the aircraft turned through 90 degrees, causing the nose to drop
suddenly, before it struck the ground. All three members
of the ight crew were killed on impact.

ployed by United Airlines since 1937, and had 9,763 ying hours experience, 549 of which were in a DC-6.[5]
He was training the two pilots, Henry M. Dozier, age
40, and Vernis H. Webb, age 35,[5] so they would be
able to retain an instrument rating qualication, allowing
them to y under instrument ight rules.[4] The aircraft
was a Douglas DC-6, registration N37512, serial number
43001. The airframe had own 22,068 ying hours, and
had undergone an inspection 105 hours before the accident. The aircraft was powered by four Pratt & Whittted with Hamilton Standard
A subsequent investigation found that the crewmembers ney R2800-CB16 engines,
[5]
43E60-317
propellers.
were simulating an engine failure, which involved a member of the crew pulling back the throttle lever for engine The weather on the day of the accident was clear, alNo. 4 prior to taking o. Investigators found that if the though there was a strong wind of about 20 knots (37
throttle lever was pulled back too far, it would cause the km/h) hitting the aireld from the southwest, with ocpropeller to reversea feature designed to slow the air- casional gusts of wind as fast as 30 knots (56 km/h).[4]
craft upon landing. Once the landing gear was raised, The aircraft made several circuits, taking o and landing
the crew would have to raise a metal ag in the cock- again, before eyewitnesses observed the aircraft standing
pit to bring the propeller blades back into the correct at the end of the runway and then taking o at about 15:50
position, since a safety device prevented electric power Eastern Standard Time.[4][3] Loaded with around 61,000
from operating the rotating mechanism at the roots of the pounds (28,000 kg), the aircraft was far below its maxblades unless the aircraft was on the ground or the ag imum permissible weight and the center of gravity was
was manually raised. Investigators from the Civil Aero- within the prescribed limits for the model of aircraft.[4][5]
nautics Board (CAB) concluded that one of the ight crew Between 1,500 feet (460 m) and 1,800 feet (550 m) down
applied full power to No. 4 engine, thinking this would
the runway, the aircraft reached take-o speed, lifted o
bring the aircraft out of the increasing bank. Because the the ground, and began climbing normally as the crew reblades were reversed and the ag was not raised, this dratracted the landing gear. Upon climbing through 50 feet
matically increased the reverse thrust causing the DC-6 (15 m), the aircraft began banking right. The climbing
to spiral out of control. The investigators also concluded
bank continued to increase at a rate which alarmed witthat the suddenness of the bank and dive meant the ight nesses, and soon after the aircraft rotated through 90 (at
crew had little chance to recover the aircraft before imwhich point the wings were vertical to the ground).[4][5]
pact.
At a height of around 150 feet (46 m), with all four enIn the aftermath of the accident, the Civil Aeronautics
Administration (CAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive
ordering all DC-6 and DC-6B aircraft to be tted with a
manual device which could prevent the inadvertent reversal of the propeller blades. United Airlines also stated
they had begun installing reverse thrust indicator lights
in the cockpits of their DC-6 aircraft, which would warn
pilots when a propeller had reversed.

gines producing take-o thrust, the nose began to fall,

and the aircraft stalled. The right wing and nose impacted
with the ground, causing the fuselage to cartwheel over,
before the aircraft came to rest the correct side up and
was engulfed in ames. Though emergency services at
Long Island MacArthur responded to the crash, all three
members of the ight crew had been killed on impact.
The aircraft was destroyed by the post-crash re.[4][5]

History

On April 4, 1955, a United Airlines check captain, Stanley C. Hoyt, age 45, was carrying out instrument rating
checks on two of the airlines pilots. Hoyt had been em-

2 Investigation

A Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, the type of engine installed

on Douglas DC-6 aircraft[6]

2.1

Wreckage examination

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the organization

charged with investigating the accident, went to Long Island MacArthur Airport to examine the wreckage. Upon
hearing reports from witnesses of the crash that the aircraft appeared to have rotated and begun climbing normally before it began banking sharply to the right, investigators examined the four charred engines. They had all
been severely damaged by the impact and subsequent re,
but it was concluded that all four were producing power
at the point of impact.[4][5] The CAB could not conclusively determine the amount of power being produced,
but investigators stated there was no evidence found in
the wreckage that suggested the engines might have suffered an operational failure.[5][7]

INVESTIGATION

A video of a Douglas DC-6.

the thrust levers to a positive position and again produce

forward thrust, allowing them to execute the maneuver.[7]
The Douglas Aircraft Company designed a system that
would prevent the accidental reversal of propeller blades
in-ight. During development of the DC-6, the company
installed a system that cut electrical power to the mechanisms which rotated the blades while the airplane was
in the air. When there was enough weight on the landing
gear (which would only be the case when the aircraft was
on the ground), a switch which supplied electrical power
to the mechanisms was closedmeaning that when the
aircraft touched down the blades could be reversed and
thus the airplane could be slowed. When the switch was
closed, a red ag would swing into view in the cockpit
of the aircraft, warning the crew that the blades could be
reversed. Should the switch fail to close upon landing,
the ag could be raised manually and electrical power to
the mechanisms would be restored. When the aircraft
took o, electrical power would be cut to the mechanisms
so that the propeller blades could not be inadvertently
reversed, and the red ag swung out of sight. Reverse
thrust warning lamps, which would have warned the crew
if the propellers were reversed, were not tted on Mainliner Idaho.[7]

Investigators were also able to determine all of the ight

control surfaces, including the elevators, ailerons and
rudder, were functioning correctly at the point of the
crash, and it was also found there were no faults in the
ight control system of the aircraft. The aps were
extended to between 15 and 20, the standard setting
for take-o. Investigators discovered that the propeller
blades of No. 4 enginethe engine on the far right side
of the aircraftwere reversed. While the blades of Nos.
1, 2 and 3 engines were at 34 positive pitch (also stan- 2.3 Flight tests
dard for take-o), the blades of No. 4 engine were set at
The CAB carried out ight tests using a DC-6. They
full reverse pitchminus 8.[5][7]
found that if the propellers were reversed prior to take-o
they would not, if the ag was not raised, be rotated automatically again in the air to produce forward thrust if full
2.2 Reversed thrust
power was applied. Tests performed by United Airlines
The propellers of a DC-6 are designed to provide reverse showed that, if the propellers of just one engine were rethrust when the aircraft touches down. When this fea- versed and full power was applied to all four engines, then
ture is activated, the propellers begin producing thrust in the aircraft would spiral into a dive. If METO (maximum
the opposite direction, causing the aircraft to slow down. except take-o) power was applied to Nos. 1, 2 and 3 enNo. 4,
When the crew then retards the throttle levers, electric gines, and full reverse thrust was applied to engine
[5][8]
then
the
aircraft
would
become
uncontrollable.
mechanisms in the propeller hub rotate the blades to a po-

sition in which they will provide reverse thrust.[7] Should If full left aileron was applied, the aircraft could be rethe crew need to perform a go-around, they could restore covered for a short period of time, but a violent turn to

2.4

Conclusions

The nose gear of a Douglas DC-6

the right would continue, and the competing forces would

cause the aircraft to stall, and violently roll and pitch
down. Flight tests, investigators said, accurately reproduced what happened to Mainliner Idaho during the accident sequence. The tests performed by United and by
the investigators showed that if, after the aircraft became
airborne, full power was applied to an engine whose propellers were reversed, the propellers would produce not
positive thrust, but increased reverse thrust.[5][8] One aviation author wrote of the crash,
The ight tests showed conclusively that,
at take-o conguration, a DC-6 becomes
uncontrollable with an outboard engine at
full power with its propeller in reverse pitch.
Control is lost so quickly that there is little the
crew can do at low altitude. In the case of this
accident, it was doubtful if there would have
been time for forward thrust to be restored
before control was lost.
Macarthur Job, Air Disaster Vol. 4, 2001[8]

2.4

Conclusions

The propellers of a Douglas DC-6 engine, similar to those installed on the engines of Mainliner Idaho

The investigation concluded that the accident sequence

began when the check pilot, while the aircraft was on the
ground, retarded the throttle lever for No. 4 engine past
the idle position, and therefore reversed the propellers of
the aircraft. Once the airplane took o and started banking to the right, it would have been a natural reaction for
one of the ight crew to increase power to No. 4 engine,
thinking that by doing so the engine would start producing positive thrust and the aircraft could be recovered.
However, since the metal ag was not raised, there was
no electrical power to the rotating mechanismsand increasing power to No. 4 engine would only have created
more reverse thrust.[5][9]
The nal accident report concluded that there was no time
for the crew to react, since the dive began so suddenly,
and there was no way for the crew to recover the aircraft.
Control will be lost so quickly that there is little, if anything, that the pilot can do if it occurs at low altitude,
the report stated. He must recognize what is occurring,
analyze it, and take action to unreverse in a very limited amount of time. It is doubtful that unreversing could
have been accomplished in this instance before control
was lost.[5]

On October 4, 1955, the CAB released the nal accident

While the wreckage was being examined, investigators report, which concluded the reversal of the propellers and
found that all four engines were producing thrust at the subsequent increase in power to No. 4 engine had caused
time of impact. There were only two ways that the pro- the accident.[5]
peller could be reversed during the take-o sequence.
Investigators ruled out electrical malfunction since, afThe Board determines that the probable
ter detailed examination of the engine hub, there was
cause of this accident was unintentional moveno evidence found of this happening.[5][9] Therefore, it
ment of No. 4 throttle into the reverse range
was concluded that the only way the propeller could have
just before breaking ground, with the other
been reversed was through an unintentional crew action.
three engines operating at high power output,
Although there was no formal evidence that a simulated
engine failure was being performed, statements submitwhich resulted in the aircraft very quickly
ted by witnesses suggested that it was likely this was the
becoming uncontrollable once airborne.
case. United Airlines procedure calls for No. 4 engine to
Civil Aeronautics Board, Accident Investigation Report; United Air Lines, Inc., MacArthur
be shut down in a simulated engine failurethe same enField, Islip, New York, 1955[5]
gine which was found at the crash site with its propellers
[5][9]
reversed.

3
3.1

Aftermath
Technological advances

Following the accident, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive ordering all DC-6 and DC-6B aircraft to be tted with a sequence gate latch, known as a Martin bar. The device is
a metal bar which a crew would manually swing in front of
the thrust levers over the idle line, physically preventing
the thrust levers from being retarded into the reverse position. According to the CAB report, a United Airlines
engineer told investigators the Martin bar should make
propeller reversal a more reliable and safer device [than
the system tted to Mainliner Idaho] ... with its numerous
switches, relays, and automatic operation.[5]

REFERENCES

1982 short of the runway in Tokyo, after the mentally ill

captain attempted suicide during the nal approach phase
of the ight, by putting the inboard engines into reverse
thrust. Of the 174 people aboard, 24 died.[11][12] [13][14]
In 1991, Lauda Air Flight 004, operated by a Boeing 767,
crashed after the left engine thrust reverser deployed inight for reasons that could not be determined.[15] The
crash of a TAM Airlines Fokker 100 in 1996 was attributed to the deployment of the thrust reverser on No.
2 engine. The aircraft rolled to the right and crashed in a
populated area of So Paulo, Brazil.[16]

4 See also
1955 in aviation

United Airlines issued a statement saying it had begun

Aviation safety
installing the device on its eet of DC-6 and DC-6B air List of accidents and incidents involving commercial
craft one week before the accident, having used it sucaircraft
cessfully in service on their eet of Douglas DC-7 aircraft. A Martin bar had not yet been tted on Mainliner
Idaho.[8] United Airlines also said a program had begun to
install reverse thrust indicator lights on all their DC-6 and 5 References
DC-6B aircraft. The signals, tted in the cockpit of the
aircraft, would have warned the ight crew that the thrust Notes
lever had been pulled back too far, and the propellers had
been reversed.[5]
[1] Archives 1955 Jan-Jun. Aircraft Crashes Record Ofce. Retrieved December 26, 2010.

3.2

Similar accidents

[2] Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
[3] L. I. Crash Kills 3 Veteran Airline Pilots On Take-O
During Routine Check Hop. New York Times. April 5,
1955. Retrieved December 26, 2010. (subscription required)
[4] Job 2001, p. 45.
[5] Accident Investigation Report; United Air Lines, Inc.,
MacArthur Field, Islip, New York. Civil Aeronautics
Board. 1955. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
[6] The Douglas DC-6. Airliners.net. Retrieved December
28, 2010.
[7] Job 2001, p. 46.
[8] Job 2001, p. 47.

A Lauda Air Boeing 767, similar to the aircraft which crashed

in 1991 after one of the thrust reversers deployed in-ight.

[9] Job 2001, p. 49.

[10] Aircraft Accident Report: United Airlines Flight 859.

Since the crash, there have been several other accidents

involving reverse thrust. A Douglas DC-8 operating
United Airlines Flight 859 crashed in 1961 when the rst
ocer attempted to reverse all four engines during the
landing roll. The left engines remained in forward thrust,
while the right engines went into reverse, causing the
aircraft to veer rapidly to the right and collide with airport construction vehicles, killing 18 of the 122 people
aboard.[10] Japan Airlines Flight 350, a DC-8, crashed in

[11] Accident Database: Accident Synopsis 02091982

[12] COCKPIT FIGHT REPORTED ON JET THAT
CRASHED IN TOKYO", The New York Times.
February 14, 1982. Retrieved on June 24, 2011.
[13] Troubled Pilot. Time. 1982-03-01. Retrieved 2007-0420.
[14] Final Accident Report

[15] Lauda Air B767 Accident Report. Aircraft Accident

Investigation Committee of Thailand. Retrieved January
23, 2011.
[16] Accident description. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved January 23, 2010.

Bibliography
Job, Macarthur (2001). A fatal propeller reversal.
Air Disaster 4. Aerospace Publications. ISBN 1875671-48-X.

6 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1

Text

1955 MacArthur Airport United Airlines crash Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955%20MacArthur%20Airport%20United%

20Airlines%20crash?oldid=655253909 Contributors: Edward, Tpbradbury, Paul August, Smalljim, Colin Douglas Howell, Wtmitchell,
Hailey C. Shannon, Tim!, Wctaiwan, Mukkakukaku, Nikkimaria, SmackBot, Trebor, Colonies Chris, AussieLegend, Backspace, Ser
Amantio di Nicolao, EditorASC, John, MilborneOne, Cydebot, Mike Christie, Hebrides, Headbomb, Arsenikk, Bzuk, Bencherlite, Magioladitis, Bongwarrior, Hugo999, The Duke of Waltham, GimmeBot, Sphilbrick, HawkeyeFLA, TypoBoy, Piledhigheranddeeper, Another
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and Anonymous: 15

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6.3

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