PanAm Flight 6 Ditching - crash Fleet number 943 Registration N90943

Pan Am Flight 943 Ditching This Boeing 337 Stratocruiser developed engine trouble at the "Point of No Return" between California and Hawaii, back in 1956. The Captain successfully ditched his aircraft in the ocean, with no loss of life. Here is the timeline of events:
The ordeal of Pan Am 943 After losing power on its way from Honolulu to San Francisco in October 1956, Pan Am Flight 943 maintained radio communication with the Coast Guard cutter Pontchartrain in the sea below as it considered a risky ocean landing. Other airplanes and ships relayed some of these messages to the mainland.

3:20 a.m. From PAA 943 to Honolulu: We have a runaway prop. Will call you later.
3:27 a.m. From PAA 943: No. 4 engine also dead and No. 1 still overspeeding. Our No. 4 engine is out cold. Dead at the moment.
3:35 a.m. Relayed by PAA 739 to San Francisco: We will give you the latest dope but it looks bad right now.
4:19 a.m. From Pontchartrain: PAA 943 dumping fuel. Will definitely ditch.
4:47 a.m. Relayed by PAA 25V: PAA 943 is debating decision whether to ditch now or wait until sunrise. Guard ship advises that conditions are excellent now.
5:01 a.m. Relayed by PAA 25V: PAA 943 advising Coast Guard they will definitely have to ditch. Will be unable to make Sfran or Hono with amount of fuel remaining. Still airborne.
5:10 a.m. From Pontchartrain: Clipper 943 now orbiting in area. Considering trying to stay aloft until daylight.
7:57 a.m. From Pontchartrain: He will ditch in approximately 25 minutes.
8:09 a.m. From Pontchartrain: Ditching in five minutes.
8:15 a.m. From Pontchartrain: The plane has ditched. It broke in half on contact.
8:21 a.m. From Pontchartrain: The plane has ditched. Have four rafts in water. Many survivors apparent. Have two rescue boats in water. All possible rescue gear. The plane broke off at the tail.
8:43 a.m. From Pontchartrain: The bow stove in on ditching. Tail sank almost immediately. The plane sank in about 21 minutes. We rescued all survivors aboard. There are 31 survivors.
8:43 a.m. From Pontchartrain: All I can say is 'Thank God' and out. Note: All are West Coast times.
Pan Am Flight 6 (registration N90943, and sometimes erroneously called Flight 943) was an American around-the-world commercial passenger flight, that was forced to ditch in the Pacific Ocean on October 16, 1956, after the failure of two of its four engines. The service originated in Philadelphia, travelling eastwards around the globe via many stops, with a final scheduled destination at San Francisco. On the evening of October 15, 1956 the flight was operated over its final stages by a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, named "Clipper Sovereign Of The Skies" (Pan Am fleet number 943) and registered N90943.

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[wdwflash]

My Dad was a Capt for Pan Am and flew this very airplane. He was friends with Capt Ogg and I remember setting in our front room of our house at Lake Mohawk, NJ and Capt. Ogg talking about the landing. Years later in the late 1960's I was on the sister ship of this one called the Winona and did a couple of Ocean Station Novermber patrols. I used to talk to my Da flying a 707 overhead.

[MikeRomeoVictor]

@wdwflash Great story! I'm glad so many folks are able to "travel back in time" because of this video!

[madisonelectronic]

Gee, I didn't think Sully was that old?

[RJfan]

@deliow the engines on the Stratocruiser (Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, a 28 cylinder radial engine dubbed "the corncob" due to its appearance) weren't too reliable. if both of those engines failed, there was a very good chance the other two would fail, and all aboard would be lost

[lulubell2222]

Great video...and thankfully the best ending one could hope for..a mid ocean landing is the last possible course of action..talk about guts and a steady hand ...man that deep deep ocean maybe 4 or 5 miles deep at that point...black ,dark and cold...Go Bless Capt Ogg.

[deliow]

An amazing story. But call me STUPID if the aircraft still had 2 good engines why did it not carry on its prescribed course ??

[caskigm]

I Remenber this while I was Stationed at Travis AFB. as a mechanic on the C97's

[nolifemerc]

the ditching is at 4.40

[radmoose]

@nicuribe Wikipedia mentioned 45 cases of live canaries, but nothing is mentioned about dogs. The pilot seemed to be concerned as the following is from a story from the SF Gate website.

Ogg continued to fly until his death in 1991, but the ditching stayed in his mind. His widow recalled asking him, as she sat by his deathbed, about a faraway look on his face.

"I was thinking of those poor canaries that drowned in the hold when I had to ditch the plane," he said.

[thepilotseat]

@wdwflash Hi there Coastie, I was on the Minne. (Minnetonka W67) from '64 - '67 @ the foot of pier "C" in Long Beach CA. I was a Steam Genie (BT). We saw this film quite a few times while we were out on OSN. It helped remind us of why we were bobbin' around in the middle of nowhere. I still love the ocean as much as I did then & considering that I've been landlocked for over 33 yrs. , I miss the ocean ! & yes we did thoroughly enjoy talking W/ the flight crews of passing airliners.

[zoggin]

Did this incident inspire the movie "Airport '77"?



[famospilot]

Safety rules require that a plane must still be able to reach an airport even with the loss of two engines at the furthest point from an airport. However, in the case of a propeller-driven plane, that assumes that the propellers of the failed engines have been feathered. In this case, one failed to feather and the increased drag from the windmilling propeller meant that the plane could not reach land.

Everyone survived with no serious injuries.

[vexviper]

Great video thank you!