Investigation Summary
Flight 293 was a routine charter flight transporting servicemen and dependents. The aircraft had recently undergone a 200 hour maintenance check (No. 2 check) on June 2, 1963, and was reported to be in normal operating condition upon arrival at McChord AFB. The flight departed at 15:52 UTC (07:52 PST) and proceeded normally for over two hours. The last communication occurred at 18:06 UTC when the crew requested a flight level change from 14,000 to 18,000 feet, which was denied by ATC due to other traffic. When the flight failed to report at its next scheduled fix, a search was initiated. Debris was eventually located by a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft, but the extreme depth of the ocean at the crash site prevented a full recovery. The recovered items, which included deformed seat frames and life vests still in their containers, suggested a high speed impact with the water, indicating the crew likely had no time to prepare for a ditching.
Final Conclusions
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) concluded that because of a lack of evidence, the Board was unable to determine the probable cause of the accident. The investigation was limited by the absence of the aircraft's wreckage and the lack of any radio transmissions indicating an emergency.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
First Officer
Flight Engineer
Navigator
Systems & Failure Modes
Supercharger (Low Blower)
The crew selected 14,000 feet to operate the engine superchargers in low blower mode for better efficiency and passenger comfort.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was carrying 95 passengers, including military personnel, dependents, and one Red Cross employee.
- 02Approximately 1,500 pounds of floating wreckage was recovered, but no bodies were found.
- 03The wreckage was located in water approximately 8,000 feet deep.
- 04Life vests were found still encased in their plastic containers, suggesting no attempt at an organized ditching was made.
- 05The aircraft had 23,000 pounds of fuel on board at takeoff, sufficient for 7 hours and 45 minutes of flight.