![]() The crash occurred at a point one-and-a-quarter miles short of the intended landing area.The plane first contacted the water at a higher-than-normal landing speed, and in a nose-low attitude. ![]() Conditions of weather and water surface within the vicinity of Port-of-Spain were satisfactory for a safe approach and landing.Captain Cramer, having very limited flight time in the aircraft, was at the controls with Captain Goyette acting in a supervisory capacity.The carrier, aircraft and pilots had proper certificates.On April 24, 1946, the Civil Aeronautics Board released its accident investigation report with the following findings "upon the basis of all available evidence": Cramer, First Officer, who was flying the plane from the left seat when it crashed. Goyette, Pilot-in-Command for the flight, and Captain L.W. Twenty-three passengers and crew were killed there were seven survivors including Captain C.A. The impact broke the hull in two which quickly flooded and sank. After one missed approach, on the second approach to land it came down too low and hit the water at a high speed and nose-down a mile-and-a-quarter short of its intended landing area. Flight 161 had started at Miami bound for Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo, making its first stop to refuel at Puerto Rico before flying on to Port-of-Spain. The China Clipper remained in Pan Am service until January 8, 1945, when it was destroyed in a crash in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The "Sixteen" is a reference to the aircraft's registration number NC14716. The China Clipper was referred to as "Sweet Sixteen" by Pan American personnel. The China Clipper was painted olive drab with a large American flag painted below the cockpit. In comparison, a brand-new Plymouth automobile cost about $600 in the late 1930s. As a result, the price of a return air ticket say San Francisco to Honolulu was $1700 (equivalent to $32,000 in 2021). On early flights, the crew outnumbered the passengers. The clippers were, for all practical purposes, luxury flying hotels, with sleeping accommodation, dining rooms and leisure facilities in addition to the usual aircraft seating. Nearly a half a million miles were flown along the route before any paying passengers were carried. The relatively short range of the aircraft meant that hotel, catering, docking, repair, road and radio facilities had to be put in place at the intermediate stops along the route, particularly on the virtually uninhabited islands of Wake and Midway. California Clipper (NC-18602) January 1939Īdditional clippers were assigned to the Trans-Atlantic and South American routes operated by Pan-American.Ĭonsiderable effort was put into preparing for the inauguration of the first Trans-Pacific route.Honolulu Clipper (NC-18601) January 1939.Later the larger Boeing 314 Clipper flying boats were assigned to the route: Philippine Clipper (NC-14715) November 1935.Aircraft Īirmail Envelope carried on the Pan American Airways China Clipper for the first contract trans-Pacific flight Its departure point is California Historical Landmark #968 and can be found in Naval Air Station Alameda. The inauguration of ocean airmail service and commercial air flight across the Pacific was a significant event for both California and the world. Musick as pilot and Fred Noonan as navigator. The crew for this flight included Edwin C. On November 29, the airplane reached its destination, Manila, after traveling via Honolulu, Midway Island, Wake Island, and Sumay, Guam, and delivered over 110,000 pieces of mail. Although its inaugural flight plan called for the China Clipper to fly over the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge (still under construction at the time), upon take-off the pilot realized the plane would not clear the structure, and was forced to fly narrowly under instead. On November 22, 1935, it took off from Alameda, California in an attempt to deliver the first airmail cargo across the Pacific Ocean. It was one of the largest airplanes of its time. Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland, it was delivered to Pan Am on October 9, 1935. Built at a cost of $417,000 by the Glenn L. China ClipperĬrashed on approach due to excessive speed and rate of descent ( CFIT)Ĭhina Clipper (NC14716) 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 airmail service from San Francisco to Manila on November 22, 1935. For other uses, see China Clipper (disambiguation).
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