24 November 1959: At 5:35 a.m., Central Standard Time, Trans World Airlines Flight 595, a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation freighter, N102R, crashed into a residential area about ¼-mile (0.4 kilometer) to the southeast of Midway Airport (MDW), Chicago, Illinois.
N102R had departed Midway Airport at approximately 5:31 a.m., Central Standard Time (11:31 UTC), en route to Los Angeles, California. The flight crew were Captain Claude Wilbert Helwig, First Officer Delmas Earl Watters, and Flight Engineer Aerion Lyman Auge, Jr.
A weather observation made ten minutes before takeoff reported the sky partially obscured, scattered clouds at 600 feet (183 meters), measured 900 foot (274 meters) overcast; visibility 3 miles (4.8 kilometers), with light rain, fog and smoke. The wind was 10 knots (5.14 meters per second) temperature 39 °F. (3.8 °C.) and dew point 38 °F. (3.3 °C.).
1 minute, 20 seconds after takeoff, the flight crew reported to the control tower that that they had a fire warning for the airplane’s number 2 engine (inboard, left wing) and that they would return to the airport. The tower cleared Flight 595 to land on Runway 31L. [Today, this runway is 31C.] The controller asked if they wanted to use a localizer approach, and received the answer, “I think we’ll make it VFR, OK,” meaning that the crew intended to remain in visual conditions below the overcast.
According to the accident investigation report,
In the turn to final approach to runway 31 the aircraft banked in excess of 45 degrees during which it developed an excessive rate of sink. When the aircraft reached the tops of the trees its wings were nearly level and its nose was raised in a climbing attitude; however, the descent continued. The wing flaps were being retracted during the last 5 to 10 seconds of the final descent and were found to be symmetrically extended at 24 percent upon impact.
A controller saw the airplane crash into the residential area. The time was established by the time of the power failure caused when the Super Constellation hit the Commonwealth Edison Company power lines.
The three members of the flight crew and 11 people of the ground were killed. Another 11 people were injured.
Investigators found that the number 2 engine had been shut down and its propeller feathered, but there was no evidence of any inflight fire.
The investigative board found the the flight crew’s decision to remain below the clouds was reasonable under the circumstances.
In anticipation of landing, a gear-down, flap-extended configuration was established on the downwind portion of the traffic pattern. The wing flaps were at least in the takeoff position of 60 percent and had been allowed, presumably to remain so extended since takeoff, because less than one minute had elapsed from the start of the takeoff roll until the fire warning, and at that time the captain planned to return to land. The track over the ground on the “downwind” curved toward the runway. When the aircraft was positioned to start the turn to final approach a sharp turn was needed to avoid overshooting the extended centerline of runway 31L.
The Board believes the captain attempted such a turn, and in doing so combined a very steep bank with high gross weight ¹ and three-engine aircraft configuration in such a manner that the aircraft entered a regime of flight describable as being on the backside of the power curve. More power and altitude than was available to him was needed to safely recover the aircraft At some point in this turn the captain very probably decided to discontinue the landing approach and attempted to “go-around.” Hence, he called for gear up at or near this same point, but for an unexplained reason the wing flap controls were positioned for flap retraction.
The nose landing gear and left main gear assemblies were found to be in the up position but unlocked, and the right main gear was up and locked. The wing flaps were extended symmetrically at about 24 percent of their full travel. The flap control valve and follow-up mechanism were positioned to raise the flaps. The cockpit flap control lever was found to be about 1/8-inch (3.2 millimeters) aft of the full up position, with the lever bent over 80 degrees to the left. There was no indication that the lever had been forcibly moved fore or aft.
The Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the Probable Cause of the accident was
. . . the maneuvering of the aircraft in a manner that caused it to develop an excessive rate of sink in the turn to final approach.
The L-1049 series was 18 feet, 4 inches (5.588 meters) longer than the preceding L-749 Constellation, with cylindrical “plugs” installed fore and aft of the wing. The L-1049H was the final commercial variant of the Super Constellation series. It could be converted from a passenger airliner to an air freighter configuration in a few hours. The L-1049 was 113 feet, 3.7 inches (34.536 meters) long, with a wingspan of 123 feet, 0 inches (37.490 meters), and overall height of 24 feet, 9.5 inches (7.557 meters). The fuselage had a maximum diameter of 11 feet, 7½ inches ( meters).
The total wing area was 1,650 square feet (153.3 square meters). The wings’ leading edges were swept aft 7° 28.7′, while the trailing edges swept forward 3° 13′. They had 7° 36.6′ dihedral.
N102R was powered by four air-cooled, direct-fuel-injected, 3,347.662 cubic-inch-displacement (54.858 liters) Wright Aeronautical Division 988TC18EA3 Duplex Cyclone turbocompound engines with a compression ratio of 6.70:1. The turbocompound engine used captured exhaust gases to drive three Power Recovery Turbines. These PRTs were coupled to the engine’s crankshaft. This system added approximately 450 horsepower to the engine’s total power output.
The 988RC18EA3 had Normal Power ratings of 2,860 horsepower at 2,650 r.p.m. at Sea Level; 2,920 horsepower at 2,650 r.p.m. at 4,800 feet (1,463 meters); 2,450 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m. at 16,400 feet (4,999 meters). Its Maximum Power ratings were 3,400 horsepower at 2,900 r.p.m. to 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) for Take Off; and 2,600 horsepower at 2,600 r.p.m. at
The engines turned three-bladed Hamilton Standard propellers through a 0.4375:1 propeller gear reduction. The reduction gears were strengthened to support 4,000 horsepower. The Wright 988TC18EA3 was 7 feet, 5.53 inches (2.274 meters) long, 4 feet, 8.59 inches (1.473 meters) in diameter, and weighed 3,640 pounds, ± 1% (1,651 kilograms).15,200 feet (4,633 meters). 115/145-octane aviation gasoline was required.
The L-1049 had a maximum speed for normal operations (VNO) of 260 knots (299 miles per hour/482 kilometers per hour) and a maximum speed (VNE) of 293 knots (337 miles per hour/543 kilometers per hour) up to 11,000 feet (3,353 meters). VNO was reduced by 9 knots, and VNE reduced by 11 knots, for each 2,000 foot (610 meters) increase in altitude above 11,000 feet.
The maximum operating altitude for the L-1049 was 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). Its maximum range was 4,140 miles (6,663 kilometers).
N102R had a manufacture date of 6 June 1957. When it went through a scheduled overhaul 8 March 1959, it had accumulated 3,432:08 hours of flight time.
Claude Wilbert Helwig was born 9 July 1919 in San Francisco, California. He was the son of Henry Wilbert Helwig, a truck driver, and Mina Helwig Borchard. He attended Balboa High School in San Francisco, graduating in 1937.
Helwig enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces 12 March 1941. He had brown hair, gray eyes, a light complexion, was 5 feet, 8 inches (178 centimeters) tall and weighed 133 pounds (60 kilograms). Helwig was honorably discharged 9 March 1943 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, Air Corps, Army of the United States (AUS), 10 March 1943. he was assigned to in the 14th Troop Carrier Squadron, 61st Troop Carrier Group.
Lieutenant Helwig married Miss Josephine Crull at Crow Creek Township, North Carolina, 20 May 1943. The ceremony was performed by J.W. Johnson, Justice of the Peace.
Following World War II, Helwig remained in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, serving with the rank of captain. He was discharged 1 April 1953. Captain Helwig had been awarded the Air Medal with 13 oak leaf clusters (14 awards). Captain Helwig’s remains were interred at Glen Oaks Memorial Park, Chico, California.
Delmas Earl Watters was born at Estill Springs, Tennessee, 30 November 1922. He was the son of Earl Watters, a locomotive fireman, and Annabelle Smith Watters.
He attended Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee.
Watters enlisted as an aviation cadet in the United States Navy, 9 December 1942, at Atlanta, Georgia. He entered pre-flight school at Athens, Georgia, 1 May 1942, then underwent flight training at Corpus Christi, Texas. His enlistment was terminated to accept a commission as an ensign, United States Navy Reserve, 26 December 1944.
Ensign Watters married Miss Theda Jeanne McMillan in King County, Washington, 30 December 1945. The ceremony was performed by J. Robert Walter of the Central Presbyterian Church, Seattle, Washington. They later divorced.
Ensign Watters was promoted to the rank of lieutenant (junior grade), 1 January 1947.
Watters later transferred to the United States Air Force with the rank of first lieutenant. During the Korean War, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster (two awards).
Watters married Miss Jean Ruth Cleere at the Chapel of Roses, Pasadena, California, California, 30 December 1951. They would have one son.
First Officer Watters’ remains were interred at the Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum, Altadena, California.
Aerion Lyman Auge, jr., was born 8 June 1924 in Jefferson, Kentucky. He was the son of Aerian Lyman Auge, an electrician, and Isabelle Veronica Jahn Auge.
Auge served in the United States Navy during World War II.
Auge married Yvonne Easton in Pierce County, Washington, 19 April 1946. They would have three daughters. Flight Engineer Auge’s remains were interred at the Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.
Thanks to TDiA reader George Firis for suggesting this subject. Mr. Firis’s aunt lived in an apartment building that was destroyed.
¹ The computed allowable gross takeoff weight for this flight was 127,400 pounds (57,788 kilograms). At departure, the aircraft weighed 126,606 pounds (57,428 kilograms). The allowable landing weight was 115,000 pounds (52,163 kilograms).
© 2024, Bryan R. Swopes