LOST BIRDS AVIATION MUSEUM - DISCOVER AVIATION ARCHAEOLOGY |
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Historical Mishap By J. Douglas Scroggins |
Remembering Flight 736 |
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On the morning of April 21, 1958, at the Los Angeles international airport, United Airlines Flight 736 a Douglas DC-7 (N6328C) departed from runway 25 left at 7:35 a.m Flight 736 would make several intermediate stops on its way to New York its final destination. They included Denver, Colorado; Kansas City, Missouri; and Washington, D.C. The crew of Flight 736 was comprised of Captain Duane Ward, First Officer Arlin Summer, Flight Engineer Charles Woods, and Stewardesses Pauline Murray and Yvonne Peterson. A total of 42 passengers were on the flight. |
Photo looking to the
south was taken hours after the collision.
Photo © 2001-2013 by Lost Birds / Doug Scroggins |
At Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Air Force 755 a North American F-100F serial number 56-3755 took-off from runway 4. The aircraft turned, heading southwest. In the front seat, Capt. Tom Coryell, the flight instructor would have a clear view outside, gut in the back seat under the hood was his student, 1st Lt. Jerald Moran. They headed for a designated training area, south of Las Vegas. |
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Rescue workers are shown here removing the victims and other aiding in putting out the fire. Photo © 2001 - 2013 by Lost Birds / Doug Scroggins |
Just minutes out from the F-100F , United Flight 736, cruising at an altitude of 21,000 feet, was approaching the Las Vegas area. The crew of Flight 736 was unaware of the approaching high-speed jet traveling at more then 300 knots. Within a split second, Collision! Nearly head on, both aircraft clipped their outer right wing tips, slicing off more then 10 feet from the DC-7, and ripping both the right wing and right stabilizer off the F-100F. Soon after the collision witness saw as the two aircraft flee earthward. All 47 on Flight 736 and the two on Air Force 755 were killed on impact. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) concluded the probable cause of this collision was a high rate of near head-on closure. At high altitude, there were human and cockpit limitations. The failure of the Nellis controllers was also a factor. The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) recommended that every measure be taken to reduce a known collision exposure. |
This story and many more photos will be featured in the upcoming book titled WRECKCHASING 3. This book will be packed with many stories of other crash sites. visit www.wreckchasing.com e-mail us if you have any further information on this accident.... (c) 2001 - 2013 by Lost Birds and J. Douglas Scroggins |