American Airlines Flight 476


American Airlines Flight 476 was a scheduled passenger flight operated by American Airlines from Tulsa Municipal Airport in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Laguardia Airport in New York City, New York. On August 4, 1955, the Convair CV-240-0 crashed while attempting an emergency landing in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, killing all 30 passengers and crew. The aircraft had suffered an in-flight fire.

Accident

At 11:53, Flight 476 departed Springfield Municipal Airport, bound for St. Louis. Starting at 12:17, the crew initiated a series of calls claiming that Engine No. 2 was on fire. The crew unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire by feathering the propeller and using the fire extinguishers. The pilots then attempted an emergency landing at Fort Leonard Wood Forney AAF Airport, but crashed into a wooded area just short of the runway. Fire-fighting equipment could not reach the scene of the crash until Army engineers bulldozed a road to it.

Investigation

Investigators discovered that the fire was caused by a failure of the No. 12 cylinder of the right hand engine.