ACCIDENT SYNOPSIS:
November 16, 1979. The Nevada Airlines Martin 404 (N40438) had been chartered to fly 41 French tourists to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, Nevada. Flight 2504 departed at 9:35 AM and after an en-route tour of the canyon landed at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. After deplaning, the passengers proceeded on their four hour ground tour of Grand Canyon's south rim viewpoints. At 2:40 PM, the passengers returned to the airport and boarded the Martin for their return flight to Las Vegas.
At 2:50 PM, the aircraft departed from Runway 3 with First Officer James "Newt" Swain at the controls. Immediately after raising the landing gear, a loss of power from the left engine was sensed. Captain William Blewett took control of the aircraft from Swain and noticed that the left engine propeller autofeather light was illuminated and the autofeather button depressed.
After passing the end of the runway, the aircraft encountered a downdraft which overcame the single engine climb performance of the aircraft. The airspeed had decreased and the temperature of the right engine cylinder head was rising rapidly toward the maximum limit so Captain Blewett elected to reduce the manifold pressure to avoid a possible engine failure. The inability of the aircraft to climb and the proximity of the rising terrain required the crew to return the right engine to full power and select a forced-landing area. The Martin collided with trees 7,531 feet past the end of Runway 3. The aircraft was destroyed by post-impact fire.
The cause(s) for the unwanted autofeather of the left propeller was never determined.
By all accounts this accident should have resulted in multiple fatalities. Had the circumstances been less favorable, the accident could have been the second worst aviation disaster at Grand Canyon. However, by luck and to the credit of the entire flightcrew, all 44 passengers and crew survived the crash landing, post impact fire, and successful evacuation.
***********************************************************************************************************************************
HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Today the area surrounding the crash site of Nevada Airlines Flight 2504 remains relatively unchanged since 1979. The aircraft came down in one of the very few open areas in the vicinity of the airport. Any other location and the aircraft would have been ripped apart as it descended through the combination of pine trees and rocky terrain.
A defined line of small debris marks a path the aircraft made as it traveled across the clearing, smashing into trees and rocks along the way. A few burned tree trunks remain on-site that still contain embedded aircraft structure. A defined burn area is evident where the aircraft finally came to rest and burned. The area is littered with a small amount of passenger personal effects, aircraft structure and components.
It is always refreshing to research and visit a crash site in which no one was killed. Unfortunately, there are very few of these "happy landings" in this rugged region.
November 16, 1979. The Nevada Airlines Martin 404 (N40438) had been chartered to fly 41 French tourists to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas, Nevada. Flight 2504 departed at 9:35 AM and after an en-route tour of the canyon landed at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. After deplaning, the passengers proceeded on their four hour ground tour of Grand Canyon's south rim viewpoints. At 2:40 PM, the passengers returned to the airport and boarded the Martin for their return flight to Las Vegas.
At 2:50 PM, the aircraft departed from Runway 3 with First Officer James "Newt" Swain at the controls. Immediately after raising the landing gear, a loss of power from the left engine was sensed. Captain William Blewett took control of the aircraft from Swain and noticed that the left engine propeller autofeather light was illuminated and the autofeather button depressed.
After passing the end of the runway, the aircraft encountered a downdraft which overcame the single engine climb performance of the aircraft. The airspeed had decreased and the temperature of the right engine cylinder head was rising rapidly toward the maximum limit so Captain Blewett elected to reduce the manifold pressure to avoid a possible engine failure. The inability of the aircraft to climb and the proximity of the rising terrain required the crew to return the right engine to full power and select a forced-landing area. The Martin collided with trees 7,531 feet past the end of Runway 3. The aircraft was destroyed by post-impact fire.
The cause(s) for the unwanted autofeather of the left propeller was never determined.
By all accounts this accident should have resulted in multiple fatalities. Had the circumstances been less favorable, the accident could have been the second worst aviation disaster at Grand Canyon. However, by luck and to the credit of the entire flightcrew, all 44 passengers and crew survived the crash landing, post impact fire, and successful evacuation.
***********************************************************************************************************************************
HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Today the area surrounding the crash site of Nevada Airlines Flight 2504 remains relatively unchanged since 1979. The aircraft came down in one of the very few open areas in the vicinity of the airport. Any other location and the aircraft would have been ripped apart as it descended through the combination of pine trees and rocky terrain.
A defined line of small debris marks a path the aircraft made as it traveled across the clearing, smashing into trees and rocks along the way. A few burned tree trunks remain on-site that still contain embedded aircraft structure. A defined burn area is evident where the aircraft finally came to rest and burned. The area is littered with a small amount of passenger personal effects, aircraft structure and components.
It is always refreshing to research and visit a crash site in which no one was killed. Unfortunately, there are very few of these "happy landings" in this rugged region.
Many of the fragments had dark brown paint which was used on the Martin's lower fuselage.
Some fragments, such as this one were part of the engine cowlings that surrounded the two Pratt and Whitney R2800 Engines.
I discovered that some of the wreckage was partially buried due to exposure over time, but also from the breakup sequence in the accident.
Walking closer to the burn area, the fragments became numerous and concentrated.
A close-up photo of the same fragment from the previous photo showing the brown paint used on the aircraft's lower fuselage and flush riveting.
The main burn area of the Martin 404 is approximately 10 meters by 15 meters. This is the location where the aircraft finally stopped and the passengers and crew began to evacuate the burning plane.
Numerous small aircraft components can be seen in the concentrated burn area. The soil is also darkened by ash and other burnt deposits.
This is one of the many trees and stumps the aircraft contacted as it slid through the clearing. It was striking obstructions like this that contributed to the post crash fire.
In this photo I am pointing to a piece of aircraft structure still embedded in the tree.
In this photo I am pointing to a piece of aircraft structure still embedded in the tree.
The fragment was embedded in the tree well over an inch and could not be moved.
There is little doubt that the use of these seatbelts had helped save the lives of the passengers in this accident. I was able to locate three un-fastened seatbelt buckles during my survey of the crash site. This is a welcomed change as many of the fatal accidents I have visited, the belts are still fastened.
New comment: Requires approval