Date:	Sunday 10 September 1961
Time:
Type:	Douglas DC-6B
Owner/operator:	President Airlines
Registration:	N90773
MSN:	44058/365
Year of manufacture:	1953
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-2800
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 83 / Occupants: 83
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	1,5 km S off Shannon Airport (SNN) -   Ireland
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Shannon Airport (SNN/EINN)
Destination airport:	Gander Airport, NL (YQX/CYQX)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Douglas DC-6B passenger plane was destroyed in an accident shortly after takeoff from Shannon Airport (SNN), Ireland. All 77 passengers and six crew members were killed.
The DC-6 operated on a non-scheduled flight from Düsseldorf, Germany to Chicago, IL, USA with refueling stops at Shannon, Ireland and Gander, Canada.
The flight took off from Shannon's runway 24 for the night time transatlantic flight leg to Gander. The crew were cleared for a right-hand turn following takeoff. The plane, however, made a left-hand turn with a bank angle increasing to 90 degrees or more. The plane then fell into the River Shannon, 5000 feet from the runway end.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Failure of the captain to maintain control of the aircraft after becoming airborne due to either: 1) a defective artificial horizon; and/or 2) a fault in the right-hand aileron tabs. Contributory causes could have been unsuitable weather conditions and possible crew fatigue."

ICAO Accident Digest No.14 Volume I, Circular 71-AN/63 (7-8)

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

6 July 1954

N90773

American Airlines

1

Cleveland, OH

non

photo (c) J. Hughes; London-Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK); 03 September 1961

Date/time	Contributor	Updates