Samoan Clipper
NC16734 Samoan Clipper (foreground), moored at Auckland, New Zealand in 1937.
Accident
DateJanuary 11, 1938
SummaryIn-flight explosion
SitePago Pago, American Samoa
14°8′20″S 170°51′0″W / 14.13889°S 170.85000°W / -14.13889; -170.85000
Aircraft
Aircraft typeSikorsky S-42B
Aircraft nameSamoan Clipper
(formerly Pan American Clipper II)
OperatorPan Am
RegistrationNC16734
Flight originHonolulu, Hawaii
1st stopoverKingman Reef
2nd stopoverPago Pago, American Samoa
DestinationAuckland, New Zealand
Passengers0
Crew7
Fatalities7
Survivors0

Samoan Clipper was one of ten Pan American Airways Sikorsky S-42 flying boats. It exploded near Pago Pago, American Samoa, on January 11, 1938, while piloted by aviator Ed Musick. Musick and his crew of six died in the crash. The aircraft was carrying only airmail and express freight; no passengers were aboard.

The aircraft developed an oil leak shortly after taking off from Pago Pago harbor, and the crew decided to return to port. However, the S-42, fully loaded with fuel, was too heavy to land safely in the limited space of the harbor, so the crew elected to dump fuel before landing. While fuel dumping was in progress, there was a fire and explosion which destroyed the aircraft, killing all aboard.[1] The exact cause of ignition for the fire could not be determined.[2]

References


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