American Airlines Flight 157
An American Airlines Douglas DC-6, similar to the aircraft involved in the crash. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 29, 1949 |
| Summary | Engine failure, pilot error |
| Site | Love Field, Dallas, Texas 32°50′53″N 96°51′04″W / 32.84806°N 96.85111°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-6 |
| Aircraft name | Flagship South Carolina |
| Operator | American Airlines |
| Registration | N90728 |
| Flight origin | LaGuardia Airport, New York City |
| Stopover | Love Field, Dallas, Texas |
| Destination | Mexico City Int'l Airport |
| Occupants | 46 |
| Passengers | 41 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 28 |
| Injuries | 16 |
| Survivors | 18 |
American Airlines Flight 157, a Douglas DC-6, departed on November 29, 1949, from New York City bound for Mexico City with 46 passengers and crew. After one engine failed in mid-flight, a series of critical mistakes by the flight crew caused the pilot to lose control of the plane during the final approach to a routine stopover at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. The airliner slid off the runway and struck a parked airplane, a hangar, and a flight school before crashing into a business across from the airport. 26 passengers and two flight attendants died. The pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and 15 passengers survived.