Date:	Sunday 17 July 1955
Time:	06:24
Type:	Convair CV-340-32
Owner/operator:	Braniff International Airways
Registration:	N3422
MSN:	71
Year of manufacture:	1953
Total airframe hrs:	4956 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB16
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 22 / Occupants: 43
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW) -   United States of America
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Kansas City Downtown Municipal Airport, MO (MKC/KMKC)
Destination airport:	Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW/KMDW)
Investigating agency:	CAB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The Braniff Convair was on operating on the flight Dallas-Oklahoma City-Wichita-Kansas City-Chicago. Departure time a Kansas City was 04:35 as the aircraft started VFR for Chicago. IFR was requested at 05:19. At 05:56 the crew received a weather forecast: thin (1000 feet) obscuration; visibility 1/2 mile. The crew then reported over Napierville at 06:18 and were radar vectored to the runway 13R outer marker for an ILS approach. On final approach the Convair descended too low and collided with a commercial sign. The aircraft then crashed through the airport boundary fence in flames and came to rest inverted.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "Momentary disorientation caused by the loss of visual reference during the final visual phase of the approach resulting in an increased rate of descent an altitude too low to effect recovery."

ICAO Accident Digest Circular 50-AN/45 (137-142)

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

25 January 1970

XC-DOK

Comisión Federal de Electricidad - CFE

19

ca 6 km E of Poza Rica-Tajin Airport (PAZ)

w/o

photo (c) Pat Bukiri; Chicago-Midway Airport, IL (MDW); 17 July 1955

Date/time	Contributor	Updates