- Continental Airlines Flight 12
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Continental Airlines Flight 12 Accident summary Date July 1, 1965 Type Runway overrun Site Kansas City, Missouri Passengers 60 Crew 6 Fatalities 0 Survivors 66 (all) Aircraft type Boeing 707-124 Operator Continental Airlines Tail number N70773 Flight origin Los Angeles International Airport Stopover Kansas City Downtown Airport Destination Chicago O'Hare International Airport Continental Airlines Flight 12, is a scheduled domestic passenger flight that on July 1, 1965 was operated by a Boeing 707, registration N70773, aircraft from Los Angeles International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport with an intermediate at Kansas City Downtown Airport. After a routine flight the plane was making an approach on the instrument landing system for runway 18. There was heavy rain and low visibility at the airport. The wind was reported from the East-northeast at 7 knots. At most airports this would normally mean an approach should be initiated from the other direction, runway 36. Quality Hill in downtown Kansas City overlooks the airport from this direction. It is so close to the end of the runway that aircraft have to go around it to land safely in good weather. This obstacle prevented the installation of an instrument landing system on this runway. It is normally considered safe to land opposite direction in these conditions but they would be landing with a slight tailwind. The flight landed at 5:29 am CST 1,100 feet down the runway. Reverse thrusting and braking were initiated but did not slow the plane as anticipated. It began to veer 30º left before it ran off the end of the runway. The right wing impacted a blast mound as the aircraft rolled over it coming to rest in three pieces on the perimeter road between the mound and river levee. After an investigation the cause of the accident was determined to be "Hydroplaning of the landing gear wheels, which precluded braking effectiveness."
Although there were no fatalities in the accident it highlighted a number of shortcomings with jet aircraft operations at Kansas City Downtown Airport. At 7,000 feet, Runway 18-36 was barely long enough for 707 aircraft. The airport could not be expanded as it was surrounded on three sides by the Missouri river and a rail yard on the east side. In 1972 airline operations were moved to Kansas City International Airport.
Similar accidents
- TAM Linhas Aéreas Flight 3054
- Southwest Airlines Flight 1455
- Air France Flight 358
- Southwest Airlines Flight 1248
Notes
Runway 18 and 36 are as of 2007 known as runway 1 and 19. Kansas City did not observe Daylight saving time until 1967.
External links
← 1964 · Aviation accidents and incidents in 1965 · 1966 → Feb 8 Eastern Airlines Flight 663
Apr 14 British United Airways Flight 1030X
May 5 Iberia Flight 401
May 20 PIA Flight 705
Jun 5 Fort Benning Mid-Air Helicopter CollisionJul 6 Little Baldon Hastings accident
Jul 1 Continental Airlines Flight 12
Jul 8 Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 21
Jul 10 Skyways Coach-Air Avro 748
Aug 16 United Airlines Flight 389Sep 17 Pan Am Flight 292
July 11 EC-121H Warning Star crash
Nov 8 American Airlines Flight 383
Nov 11 United Airlines Flight 227
Dec 4 Carmel mid-air collisionIncidents resulting in at least 50 deaths shown in italics. Deadliest incident shown in bold smallcaps. Categories:- Continental Airlines accidents and incidents
- Accidents and incidents on commercial airliners in the United States
- Aviation accidents and incidents in 1965
- 1965 in Missouri
- Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 707
- Clay County, Missouri
- Disasters in Missouri
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