Airplane Crash - Santa Maria, California 10/26/1959
Details of airplane crash/ shootdown - Santa Maria, California
| Date | 10/26/1959 |
| Time | 20:18 |
| Location | Santa Maria, California |
| Operator | PacifiAir Lines |
| Flight # | 308 |
| Route | Los Angeles - Oxnard - Santa Maria - Paso Robles |
| Type | Douglas C-47A-DL |
| Registration | N67589 |
| Cn/In | 19656 |
| Aboard | 19 |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Ground | 1 |
| Summary | Moments after rotation the left engine exploded and caught fire. The elevator of the plane hit a 12,000 volt powerline and crash landed upright sliding 65 feet. The only fatality was the first officer who was thrown clear of the accident still strapped to his seat. The number 5 cylinder of the left engine failed leading to an explosion that deformed the left engine's ring cowl to a degree that cause excessive drag and buffeting that made sustained flight impossible. Maintenance records showed the engine had a troubling number of oil leaks. |
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