Capital Airlines Flight 75

Capital Airlines

Industry	Airline
Headquarters	United States

Template:Multiple issues Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox aircraft occurrence Capital Airlines Flight 75 was a scheduled domestic service operated by Capital Airlines, flying between LaGuardia Airport and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. On May 12, 1959, the Vickers Viscount assigned to this route crashed near Chase, Maryland, resulting in the total loss of life aboard. This incident marked the third of four crashes involving Capital Airlines' Vickers Viscount aircraft within a span of fewer than two years; the others included Capital Airlines Flight 67 (April 1958), Capital Airlines Flight 300 (May 1958), and Capital Airlines Flight 20 (January 1960).

Accident

The flight departed La Guardia's terminal at 3:20 p.m., running approximately twenty minutes late, and took off at 3:29 p.m. The aircraft ascended to an altitude of 14,000 feet before joining its assigned airway, Victor 3. At 4:02 p.m., the crew communicated with Washington Center, reporting their position over Westchester and estimating arrival near Westminster within fifteen minutes. During this transmission, they mentioned thunderstorms along their planned route and requested clearance to deviate slightly south of Westminster to avoid the weather. The air traffic controller approved this request. A subsequent message at 4:10 p.m. from the pilots indicated they had reduced speed somewhat due to turbulence encountered en route. This was the final communication from the flight crew; three minutes later, the plane entered an area characterized by severe turbulence, lost control, and began a rapid descent.

It is estimated that the aircraft reached an airspeed of approximately 335 knots—about fifteen percent above the Vickers Viscount's never exceed speed and roughly five percent beyond the maximum speed demonstrated during certification testing. At around 5,000 feet altitude, both horizontal stabilizers failed simultaneously and detached downward. This sudden loss caused a violent nose-down pitch; combined with gyroscopic forces and inertia, all four engine nacelles were forced upward. The wings then experienced extreme downward forces; under this stress, the right wing detached entirely while the left wing's structural integrity was critically compromised.

With significant portions of the airframe destroyed, drag generated by the damaged left wing caused the fuselage to yaw sharply to the left. This movement exerted forces that tore away the vertical stabilizer along with parts of the already weakened fuselage structure following the loss of the left stabilizer. Additional violent motions led to complete disintegration of the left wing, rupturing its fuel tanks and triggering a flash fire. The remaining fuselage structure collapsed as the aircraft descended uncontrollably toward the ground.

Cause

The accident was attributed to the aircraft losing control amid turbulent conditions, which led to an unintended steep dive. This maneuver subjected the plane to aerodynamic stresses that surpassed its structural design limits.

References

• Template:ASN accident

External links

• Final Report - Civil Aeronautics Board
• "Capital Viscount Accident Report" - analysis published in a 1959 edition of Flight