1965 Carmel mid-air collision
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 4, 1965 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision due to optical illusion and pilot error |
| Site | Carmel, New York, United States 41°20′N 73°34′W / 41.33°N 73.57°W |
| Total fatalities | 4 |
| Total injuries | 50 |
| Total survivors | 108 |
| First aircraft | |
| N748TW, the Trans World Airlines Boeing 707 involved in the accident | |
| Type | Boeing 707-131B |
| Operator | Trans World Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | TW |
| ICAO flight No. | TWA |
| Call sign | TWA 42 |
| Registration | N748TW |
| Flight origin | San Francisco International Airport, California, United States |
| Destination | John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, United States |
| Occupants | 58 |
| Passengers | 51 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Survivors | 58 |
| Second aircraft | |
| A Lockheed Super Constellation similar to the accident aircraft. | |
| Type | Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation |
| Operator | Eastern Air Lines |
| IATA flight No. | EA853 |
| ICAO flight No. | EAL853 |
| Call sign | EASTERN 853 |
| Registration | N6218C |
| Flight origin | Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts, United States |
| Destination | Newark International Airport, New Jersey, United States |
| Occupants | 54 |
| Passengers | 49 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Injuries | 49 |
| Survivors | 50 |
The 1965 Carmel mid-air collision occurred on December 4, 1965, when Trans World Airlines Flight 42, a Boeing 707-131B en route from San Francisco International Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport, over Carmel, New York, United States collided in mid-air with Eastern Air Lines Flight 853, a Lockheed Super Constellation en route from Boston Logan International Airport to Newark International Airport, New Jersey.
TWA Flight 42 made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport, while Eastern Air Lines Flight 853 was forced to make a crash landing on Hunt Mountain in North Salem, New York. Three passengers died, plus the Constellation's pilot, Captain Charles J. White, who had returned to the aircraft's cabin to help the last passenger evacuate.