Braniff International Airways Flight 352
N9707C, the Lockheed L-188 Electra involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 3, 1968 |
| Summary | Flight into thunderstorm leading to in-flight breakup |
| Site | Navarro County, near Dawson, Texas 31°53′55″N 96°41′50″W / 31.89861°N 96.69722°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-188A Electra |
| Operator | Braniff International Airways |
| Registration | N9707C |
| Flight origin | William P. Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas |
| Destination | Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas |
| Occupants | 85 |
| Passengers | 80 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 85 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Braniff International Airways Flight 352 was a scheduled domestic flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, United States to Dallas Love Field in Dallas. On May 3, 1968, a Lockheed L-188A Electra flying on the route, registration N9707C, disintegrated in midair and crashed near Dawson, Texas after flying into a severe thunderstorm. It was carrying five crew and 80 passengers, all of whom were killed, including Texas state representative Joseph Lockridge, the first black man to represent Dallas County in the Texas Legislature. An investigation revealed the cause to be the captain's decision to penetrate an area of heavy weather and the crew's subsequent steep 180-degree turn to escape the conditions, which caused structural overstress and failure of the airframe.