National Airlines Flight 101 facts for kids
.jpg)
A National Airlines DC-6 similar to the accident aircraft
|
|
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 11, 1952 |
| Summary | Crashed shortly after take-off due to Propeller failure; pilot error |
| Place | Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States 40°40′46″N 74°13′05″W / 40.679369°N 74.218083°W |
| Passengers | 59 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 34 |
| Fatalities | 29 |
| Survivors | 34 |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-6 |
| Airline/user | National Airlines |
| Registration | N90891 |
| Flew from | Newark Airport, New Jersey |
| Flying to | Miami, Florida |
National Airlines Flight 101 was a plane trip scheduled to go from Newark Airport in New Jersey to Miami, Florida. On February 11, 1952, the plane crashed in Elizabeth, New Jersey, very soon after taking off. This was actually the third plane crash to happen in Elizabeth in less than two months. Before this, a Miami Airlines C-46 crashed in December, and an American Airlines plane crashed just three weeks earlier. These events caused a lot of worry in the community.
What Happened: The Crash
The aircraft involved was a Douglas DC-6. This type of plane has four engines and uses propellers to fly. It took off from Newark Airport at 12:18 AM. People in the control tower watched as the plane suddenly started losing height. It also began turning sharply to the right.
Just two minutes later, the plane hit an apartment building in Elizabeth. This caused the building to catch fire. The plane then crashed to the ground and burst into flames. Luckily, it just barely missed hitting an orphanage nearby.
There were 63 people on board the plane. This included 59 passengers and 4 crew members. Sadly, 29 people died in the crash. All 34 people who survived were hurt, and many had serious injuries. Four people who lived in the apartment building were also killed. A famous actress named Mildred Joanne Smith was a passenger. She survived but had severe injuries, including a broken back.
Why It Happened: The Investigation
The Civil Aeronautics Board is a group that investigates plane crashes. They looked into what caused Flight 101 to crash. Their official report said that there was a problem with one of the plane's propellers. Specifically, the system that controls the propeller's pitch (how it pushes air) failed on engine number 3. This made the propeller go into reverse while the plane was trying to climb.
Even though the propeller was in reverse, engine number 3 kept running at high power. At the same time, engine number 4 was accidentally feathered. Feathering means turning the propeller blades so they cut through the air with less drag, usually to stop a damaged engine. With one engine pushing in reverse and another effectively off, the plane could no longer stay in the air. It lost altitude and crashed.
What Happened Next: The Aftermath
Because this was the third plane crash in Elizabeth in a short time, people became very concerned about safety. This public worry led to Newark Airport being closed for a long time. It also caused a nationwide review of how safe airport operations were.
Newark Airport finally reopened nine months later, on November 15, 1952. This happened after investigators decided that the airport's facilities were not to blame for the crashes.
The three plane crashes in Elizabeth later inspired a writer named Judy Blume. She lived in Elizabeth and used these events as ideas for her 2015 novel, In the Unlikely Event.
