Pan Am Stratocruiser, similar to the aircraft that crashed
Pan Am Flight 7 was a westbound
round-the-world flight operated by
Pan American World Airways that crashed in the
Pacific Ocean on November 8, 1957, while flying from
San Francisco International Airport to
Honolulu International Airport. The crash of the
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29(example pictured) killed all thirty-six passengers and eight crew members. The flight's fate was not known until about nine hours after its last radio transmission. No emergency radio reports were received. The
United States Coast Guard launched an extensive week-long search for the plane and survivors. The bodies of 19 of the victims and pieces of the aircraft were eventually recovered about 900 nautical miles (1,000 mi; 1,700 km) northeast of
Honolulu. Although theories about the cause of the crash included sabotage, poor maintenance, and fire, the final report from the
Civil Aeronautics Board, who conducted the official investigation, concluded that the board did not have enough evidence to determine the cause of the accident. (Full article...)
Picture of the day
May 19
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat
fighter aircraft that was used by the
Royal Air Force and other
Allied countries before, during, and after
World War II. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire served in several roles, including interceptor, photo-reconnaissance, fighter-bomber, and trainer, and it continued to be used in these roles until the 1950s. This poster was produced between 1942 and 1945 by the Office of War Information.