DC-6 picture and question

[TonyC]

I should have explored the link a little more - - there's a description of the accident here: ASN Accident Summary

#2 engine was a catastrophic loss, and #1 was stalling, so they effectively lost both engines on the left side, and then commenced a turn to the left. They got to a maximum altitude of 250 feet. I'm not sure there's anything they could have done to survive, but I concur with your logic about straight ahead.

I honestly believe that a huge factor in this accident that was overlooked by everyone was the chronic fatigue that everyone in the unit was enduring. They had TDY rates well in excess of 300 days per year, and were flying record numbers of hours annually. Our unit was just ahead of them in hours and TDY, and we had a crew of 2 pilots and 2 navigators literally fall asleep during a cruise portion of a long sortie. When you get to the point that you're running on empty, so to speak, you're not able to handle challenges such as the one they faced that day with the brains and hands working at 100%. As you well know, even little mistakes can kill, and a tired pilot is more apt to make little mistakes.

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

You were asking about the AA painted DC-6 in the El Paso Area...

It was at least based at Santa Teresa, along with the DC-3. The 3 moved a LOT more than the 6 did, and it was apparently cargo charters for the oil business.

The -6 was painted like that because AA wanted to film a commercial with a Douglas flying formation with some new airplanes. So, AA paid to paint and polish the airplane, in exchange for the use of the airplane for the commercials. This was in the mid to late 80's I think.

Either way, they've got pictures inside the office of the company that owns it flying along with the jets (which were painted in the old scheme for the commercial). Looked real pretty then, since it was polished. When I was at Santa Teresa, the owner told me about every week to call him the instant I had a commercial certificate and he'd get me my FE and put me to work. That didn't exactly pan out, he said the insurance company now wants a lot more times to do anything... Either way, he's a real nice guy, and you can probably chat with him if you stop by. He also used to sell fuel.

Dan

 

[frankdrebin]

3 Engine Ferries

It has been said the Bae-146 had four engines because it needed three engines to be ferried. The engines often had problems.

 

[mar]

Bring Another Engine?

Doesn't BAE stand for 'Bring Another Engine'?

That's what I heard anyway.