Investigation Summary
The aircraft departed Newark's runway 24 at 00:18 EST. Shortly after becoming airborne, the number 3 propeller pitch control system failed, causing the propeller to move into the reverse pitch position. This created significant drag and a severe yaw to the right. The crew, likely overwhelmed by the sudden emergency at low altitude and airspeed, misidentified the source of the problem. Believing the outboard number 4 engine had failed, they feathered its propeller. With number 3 in reverse at high power and number 4 feathered, the DC-6 could not maintain altitude. The aircraft clipped an apartment building, killing four residents, before crashing near an orphanage and bursting into flames.
Final Conclusions
The Civil Aeronautics Board determined the probable cause was the reversal in flight of the number 3 propeller with relatively high power, followed by the mistaken feathering of the number 4 propeller. This resulted in a descent at an altitude too low to effect recovery. The investigation noted that the crew had very little time to analyze the difficulty due to the low altitude and the severity of the yaw produced by an inboard engine in reverse.
Video Analysis
National Airlines Flight 101 Aftermath Footage | 11 February 1952 Elizabeth, New Jersey — Archival footage and description of the National Airlines Flight 101 crash in Elizabeth, NJ, including the mechanical failure of the No. 3 propeller and the subsequent crew error.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Crew Experience
Captain
W. G. Foster
First Officer
C. E. St. Clair
Systems & Failure Modes
Propeller Pitch Control
A failure in this system on engine number 3 caused the blades to move into a reverse pitch position during flight, creating massive drag instead of thrust.
Propeller Feathering System
The crew manually activated this system for engine number 4, stopping its rotation to reduce drag, based on the incorrect assumption that it was the failing engine.
Interesting Facts
- 01This was the third plane crash in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in less than two months.
- 02The crash resulted in 33 total fatalities: 29 people on the aircraft and 4 people on the ground.
- 03Actress Mildred Joanne Smith was among the survivors, though she suffered a broken back.
- 04Newark Airport was closed for nine months following the accident due to public safety concerns.
- 05The series of Elizabeth crashes inspired Judy Blume's 2015 novel 'In the Unlikely Event'.
- 06The aircraft was a Douglas DC-6, Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 43055, manufactured in 1947.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Newark Airport Closure
The airport was closed for nine months to conduct a nationwide review of airport operation safety and to address public concern following three crashes in the same residential area.