When she read that Dr Robert Spears had been a victim of the air disaster, she became even more curious. Repeated calls to it, starting at 0106 on company frequency, were not answered. Frank was covered by $900,000 in life insurance policies at the time of his death, and had also been under investigation for corruption. There were nine bodies, a portion of a tenth body, five liferafts, five lifevests, and a highly diversified quantity of buoyant debris entirely from within the cabin and baggage compartments directly below it. (These bearings could be duplicated at low altitude; the VOR bearings could not be, due to line-of-sight limitations.). Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. Flight data API with on-demand flight status and flight tracking data. * Douglas DC-4 I don't think Dr. Spears nor Taylor planned it/caused it, but Spears decided to take advantage of it after hearing what had happened. Round-trip. November 10 of 1958, National became the first airline to introduce domestic jet service in the United States, with a flight between Miami 's international airport and Idlewild International Airport in New York. The history of the original National Airlines spanned nearly fifty years and during that time it This position was buoyed and two dives were made in depths of 210 feet. Taylor had also been married before his marriage to Alice. Extraterrestrials? The point of fade from the scope was normal and within correlation limits. * Convair CV-440 The 9 they found were likely ejected from the plane through a large opening during the deconpression, while the rest were blown to bits. Examination of the liferafts and lifevests indicated that they had not been used for their intended purposes or prepared for such use, and all damage had been accidental and random. A mystery woman told a local Tampa newspaper that she had had a relationship with Taylor shortly before his disappearance, and did not believe he was dead. November 16, 1959: National Airlines Flight 967 on a flight from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Join to view profile. [] Both men were in the confidence rackets at one time. November 10 of 1958, National became the first airline to introduce domestic jet service in the United States, with a flight between Miami 's international airport and Idlewild International Airport in New York. Yeah, it's kinda sad (and annoying) that such a good read isn't inspiring much in the way of discussion hardly at all. Flight Departure Times. The main section of the wreckage has never been found despite the efforts of Navy and Coast Guard divers. The autopsies of the bodies, all of which were identified by fingerprints, indicated that all had received traumatic injuries: injuries indicated that all nine persons had been seated at the time the aircraft struck the water. Mrs Spears said that when he came to see her, Spears was sad about Taylors death. This website uses cookies. 03 hrs 40 mins . She ultimately succeeded, and her son Junior received an undisclosed settlement. [1][2][3] In February 1960, Spears was convicted of interstate transportation of a stolen car (Taylor's Plymouth). Investigators found less than 1% of its structural components and no conclusive evidence that a bomb was used. Nothing unusual was observed and no other objects were observed in the vicinity of the flight which indicated to the station that any difficulty was being encountered". While circling and observing, the National Convair called Coast Guard aircraft with continuous transmission, allowing the latter to home on the area. The freezing level along the route was at about 14,000feet and the winds at that altitude were generally from the northwest at 10-20knots. Spears had been a close friend of her husband, and she had never considered him to be a good influence. This debris included parts of seats, parts of overhead racks, upholstery, items of clothing, parts of leather suitcases, shoes, a pack of cigarettes. This dialogue will close in 60 seconds or you can click the exit icon in the top right corner to go back to the flight map immediately. Ronald Reagan National Airport. Playing upon people's uncertainties about air-travel, insurance companies did quite well off them. Flight 967 was an interchange flight between three carriers; through plane service from Miami to Los Angeles. Very interesting story, indeed. There is little or no physical evidence upon which to explain this accident. Throughout this observation the radar scope indicated no other object. If there was, did it come before or after the crash? Delta Air Lines was scheduled to operate the flight between New Orleans, and its next stop, Dallas, TX, where American Airlines was to take over and operate the same aircraft from Dallas nonstop to Los Angeles. Spear's activities in order to determine whether they might have had a bearing upon the accident. He also cites the testimony of Spearss wife, neighbors and friends who spoke of him as a lovely person and a gentleman and expressed utter disbelief that he would be capable of doing something so heinous as taking down a passenger aircraft. I cant believe I dont remember the name but the one where the guy hijacked the plane and parachuted out over Washington state? Rescuers went out in aircraft and boats, arriving before dawn and still combing the cold, rough seas as the sun came up. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. According to Alan C. Logans book, Taylor had also met with Frank in New York (though Logan does not explain why). He added that the passengers apparently had no warning to don lifebelts, as only one life preserver was found among the debris. Turska also gave wildly conflicting accounts of his involvement in the affair. FBI National Academy. The aircraft was then spiralled over the spot down to an altitude of 500feet through a stratus deck with a base of approximately 800 feet, and tops of 1,200 to 1,400feet. After he left, he phoned again three times, again asking for Junior. Sometimes with these mysteries that were so long ago it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the victims were people who were loved and cared for by many. * Boeing 727-035 The day before the fateful flight, Taylor had visited his ex-wife Alice Steel Taylor at her home, looking for their adult son Junior, who wasnt home. All 42 occupants perished. At 1:16 AM, company radio attempted to contact Flight 967 to no avail; attempts by FAA en route facilities, New Orleans Approach Control, and air traffic control were unable to raise the flight. This dialogue will close in 60 seconds or you can click the exit icon in the top right corner to go back to the flight map immediately. Radar operators at a military station at Houma, Louisiana, picked up the flight at 12:46 AM. Accident; Date: November 16, 1959: Summary: In-flight explosion (Bombing suspected, but not proven) Site: Gulf of Mexico . VIGOR searched, using Navy sonar. In this case, the plane likely suffered the same fate. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C, [1] was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana on November 16, 1959. Get the FlightAware App for the best flight tracking experience on your device. The flight had been on its way from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. [] The fire marks on bodies and on debris were of the type caused exclusively by a flash surface fire, probably both hot and brief, upon impact with the water. National Airlines Flight 967, registration was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana on November 16, 1959. Perhaps most bizarrely of all--Dr Spears was an expert in hypnosis. As he was leaving the courthouse after his first hearing, he was observed to be whistling. * Douglas DC-8-21/31/32/51/54/61 All floating debris and bodies were from one-half to two miles east and southeast of this oil slick. Spears disagreed with the characterization of himself as a sinister hypnotic puppetmaster. During this period an underwater television camera was lowered twice on the contact from the VIGOR but only marine life was observed. Grapples were used and a variety of objects were recovered but none could be related to the aircraft. Track planes in real-time on our flight tracker map and get up-to-date flight status & airport information. Turska claimed at the time he did not even know about the airplane crash. About 72 square miles south of the area originally covered in November was swept and bottom contact approximately 110feet long was made at Lat. Remember Julian Frank, the corrupt lawyer who allegedly blew up the other aircraft? Carefully the investigators went through the flight manifest. Taylor also wanted to go to Dallas, to see a doctor about a neck injury, and to get away from his irritating ex-wife. 2918.5'N, Long. The line between the airports does. Thats not necessarily so. In spite of this string of suspicious details, the airplane was still missing, therefore there was no hope of charging Spears with anything relating to the crash. A few moments before the departure of Flight967 from Tampa, Taylor purchased a flight insurance policy in the amount of $37,500 from a coin-operated machine at Tampa International Airport making his son the beneficiary and showing his destination as Dallas, Texas. Cooper? Clearly in shock, she turned to the reporter and said: "What can I say? 14 relations. His wife would then cash in an insurance policy for $100,000 on Spears' life. National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C, was a Douglas DC7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana on November 16, 1959. The aircraft being used this particular day was a Delta Air Lines DC-7B. Intensive sea and air searches resulted in finding nine floating bodies and a small amount of floating debris the following morning. In that interview, Turska said he now thought Spears had been lying to hm, and implied Spears's wife was in on the whole scam--accusing her of faking her reaction to seeing him. Accordingly, the aircraft was flown in a northerly direction for some five to ten miles from the point of spiral-down, whereupon floating debris was seen. The U.S.S. I've never heard of this and I love aviation mysteries. 2913'N, Long. Another friend of Taylor reportedly told police that he had seen Al Taylor on Christmas Eve, 1959, in a crowd of Christmas shoppers in Nashville, Tennessee. Just a few years before, Logan writes, on Valentine's Day 1953, a National Airlines flight on the very same run--from Tampa to New Orleans--also plunged into the Gulf. National Airlines Flight 967, a DC-7B on a flight from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. A considerable amount of the floating debris also exhibited signs of burning but only above waterlines. Long read, but totally worth it! D.B. All times herein are Central Standard based on the 24-hour clock. The notion of intimidating the witness thus made no sense. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. Search and rescue facilities were activated and the Coast Guard had search aircraft and surface craft in the suspect area before daylight. It was founded in 1934 as a Florida-based airline. This is the story Spears gave after his arrest: He said he had been in Tampa and was planning on heading back to Dallas on November 16. This appeared to be bits of upholstery, sound deadening material, and white objects like sponge rubber pillows encased in plastic envelopes. The U.S.S. FlightAware provides accurate real-time, historical and predictive flight insights to all segments of the National Airlines Flight 967 of November 15, 1959, was scheduled between Miami, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with a stop at Tampa, Florida. One passenger, William Taylor, had boarded the flight using a ticket issued to Robert Vernon Spears, a convicted criminal working at the time as a naturopath. Forty-two people were on board, and less than 1% of the wreckage was recovered. The inertia of the bodies was plainly downward and forward and the forces at impact were severe. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. Meanwhile she campaigned in the courts to have him declared legally dead (which would give her son access to the life insurance money). BITTERN searched separate areas using Navy sonar. He asked her not to tell Junior this. NH967 (All Nippon Airways) - Live flight status, scheduled flights, flight arrival and departure times, flight tracks and playback, flight route and airport The world's most popular flight tracker. Departure from Tampa, with the same crew, was at 2332. The the bodies can get torn apart depending on their exact location on the plane, whether they were strapped in or not. Some small quantity of clothing and other personal effects and several mail bags were also found. He was arrested for assault and battery for his wife in 1971. Spears said he begrudgingly gave his Flight 967 ticket to Al Taylor, a friend who couldn't face a long drive to Dallas. From January27 through30, 1960, and from February2 through5, 1960, the VIGOR and PENGUIN made four dives on the bottom sonar contact obtained by the VIGOR on January 10, 1960. This segment of the flight was completely routine. He added that New Orleans had instrument meteorological conditions, and indicated that the crew had planned to use this method on the approach until the plane was below the low ceiling. Massey. The 36 passengers and six crew aboard Flight 967 from Tampa to New Orleans died in the accident 35.6 mi (57.3 km) off the coast of Pilottown, Louisiana. National Airlines Flight 193, registration N4744, Donna, was a Boeing 727-235 en route from Miami, Florida to Pensacola on May 8, 1978. . In fact, it was revealed that Spears was facing charges for performing abortions--which was illegal at the time, and had been set to stand trial on December 3, 1959. A considerable amount of the floating debris also exhibited signs of burning but only above waterlines. Such a bummer. National Airlines operated the first two legs between Miami and Tampa, and Tampa and New Orleans. National Airlines Flight 967; The aircraft was a DC-7, N4891C, owned by Delta Air Lines and operated by National under an equipment interchange agreement. It's possible it was not a direct flight, and the next leg would have been from NO to Dallas. What a tangled web. This position is six miles south and about five miles east of the radar-observed descent. Pensacola replied by delivering a clearance to Flight967, which stipulated that it was cleared from NL1 direct to the MSY (New Orleans) omni via the 116-degree radial, and to descend and maintain 6,000feet at the pilot's discretion. - January 14, 1951, a DC-4 crashed on landing at Philadelphia Airport with 7 fatalities. Low stratus and fog in the area from Mobile to New Orleans and at the New Orleans terminal would have caused the destination to be below limits at the estimated time of arrival. but he would have had to have done some rushing to get aboard the plane because it taxied away at 12:25 am. It was then observed to turn right approximately 70 degrees and disappear from the scope at 0051 at Lat. On October 5, 1945 National Airlines Flight 16, a Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar (registered NC18199) crashed into a lake near Lakeland, . Water temperatures in the vicinity of the crash were 70 degrees or more. Air Methods is the most responsive and reliable provider of critical care transportation solutions. Select the responses you agree with. Absolutely fascinating mystery. WOW! 1021022013 429b747-428bcf 7 We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. The search was resumed on November 26, 1959, to the south and west of the previous area based upon drift studies of recovered debris. In the investigation of the January 6 crash of a National Airlines DC-6B, agents are inquiring into indications that a lawyer, Mr. Julian Frank, might have blown up the plane killing himself and 33 . No? He planned to intimidate the witness in that case somehow with a bomb (not to kill her but to intimidate her). He felt he had been a burden and it was a chance to free us of that burden.. A Tanzanian airline said on Monday it will start flights to Zimbabwe in December, plying the Harare-Dar es Salaam route three times a week. And that they happened to know a seedy lawyer who (allegedly) blew himself up a month later? Among the 42 names of the dead--there was a passenger named Dr Robert Vernon Spears--a distinguished naturopath from Dallas, Texas. The National crew consisted of Captain Frank Eugene Todd, Copilot Dick Sheridan Beebee, Flight Engineer George Henry Clark, Jr., Stewardesses Patricia Ann Hires and Donna Jean Osburn, and additional crew member Jack Atkinson of the Federal Aviation Agency. Flight 967 Hardcover - January 1, 1963. After forging several checks, he had skipped town and completely abandoned his first family. The conclusion of the Official CAB Accident Report (June 11, 1962): The Board, with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has thoroughly investigated Mr Spears activities in order to determine whether they might have had any bearing upon the accident. The radar observer testified that this disappearance was characteristic of a target going below the scope's limits. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the accident. There was one witness--the attendant of a lookout tower 30 miles west of the crash site, who. The aircraft had been called into service on short notice when the normal aircraft used for the evening . He needed to get the dynamite from Tulsa to Dallas. The position of 2913'N and 8840'W - at which the aircraft went off the military radar scope - was used as a focal point of search. Photographs depicted Dr Spears as a plump, jovial man--in a checkered suit and round spectacles, he embodied the image of a kindly family physician. Investigation has disclosed certain details in regard to a last minute boarding of the aircraft at Tampa by a person using another person's ticket. You can help us keep FlightAware free by allowing ads from FlightAware.com. As has been detailed, the fire marks on bodies and on debris were of the type caused exclusively by a flash surface fire, probably both hot and brief, upon impact with the water. The theory of a Svengalian puppet master was convenient not just for the former Mrs Taylor. Logan points out that much of the public demonization of Spears resulted from the fact that he performed abortions--something that is viewed very differently in todays political discourse. It continued on a track of 296 degrees magnetic for a few minutes, then turned right to a heading of approximately 010 degrees and disappeared from the scope at 12:51 AM. According to Logans book, Mrs Taylor was media savvy, and exaggerated her closeness with Taylor before his disappearance. At Tampa, some passengers deplaned and others boarded. 8839'W. For weeks Dr Spears was mourned along with the rest of the victims. His story is absurd, the prosecutor said. Dr Spears (who was calling himself Dr Rhodes) had tried to file down the numbers on the cars registration numbers and had even used dynamite to damage the car's crankcase. There was no radio message of impending trouble. Two more liferafts were soon seen in a similar condiiton. There have been dozens of plane crashes due to explosive decompression. 8837.3'W. An oil slick estimated to be a mile long and possibly 400yards in width ran in a north-south direction. Spears said: If the business did detonate during the flight, it had to be by accident [] Im still of the opinion that the plane--something else happened to it. Cheapest ticket price on Dubai to Toronto Skycraft Air Transport flight air ticket at MakeMyTrip UAE. Taylors son Junior dismissed the story. If he were not, I don't know anything I could do about it. [Here she began choking back tears] "I know one thing, we had planned on celebrating my son's birthday and we had bigger plans for Christmas. Immediately they concentrated their efforts on this area, eventually retrieving: "nine bodies, a portion of a tenth body, five life rafts, five life vests, and a highly diversified quantity of buoyant debris.". If you have a couple of minutes, we'd like to collect your feedback on it. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A FedEx plane was only about 150 feet off the ground when its pilots realized a Southwest jet was in the process of taking off on the same runway, and aborted its landing to avoid a potentially . Everyone loved the read as the comments here suggest and so did I but does anyone have a theory they favor? For most of its existence the company was headquartered at Miami International Airport, Florida. First week only $4.99! IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, NOVEMBER 16, 1959. This matter will be detailed later in this report. - November 16, 1959, a DC-7B flown on an interchange route with Delta Air Lines, in a Delta aircraft but with a NAL crew National Airlines Flight 967, en route from Tampa to New Orleans, disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico. The cultures of National and Pan Am also proved to be incompatible, making workforce integration difficult. Debt collectors got involved--suddenly "every repo man in America" was looking for a pink Plymouth. As for the insurance policy taken out by Taylor, Spears said: Taylor was sort of a nut on insurance. Two military radar stations had the flight under surveillance. Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978 () Jan 1 Air India Flight 855; 1973 - Skylab 4 launches into orbit on the fourth Skylab mission, bringing the third and final crew to the American space station.. 1965 - Russia's Venera 3, the first spacecraft to land on another planet's surface, is launched toward Venus.. 1959 - National Airlines Flight 967, a Douglas DC-7 (registered N4891C) is destroyed by a bomb over the Gulf of Mexico, killing all 42 on . - February 14, 1953, a DC-6 crashed into the Gulf of Mexico off Mobile, AL. I am not a shill but it is an interesting book.]. He heard about the Flight 967 disaster along the way, and although he was devastated to think his old pal had perished, Spears simply decided it was an opportunity for a fresh start.". Despite these strange details, Mrs Taylor stuck to her story--her ex-husband had been hypnotized. The combination of the auto theft charge and his existing abortion charge eventually got him ten years in prison. [Note: this post is largely based on information from Self-Styled: Chasing Dr Robert Vernon Spears by Alan C. Logan. However, Taylor purchased life insurance in his own name at the airport before departure; when his ex-wife applied to collect, the substitution was discovered. Economy. A problem was discovered (broken window . The Civil Aeronautics Board (predecessor of the NTSB) did not find a probable cause for the accident due to the lack of evidence. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. Charts used during the several searches, with search areas well delineated, were coordinated within the various agencies to preclude duplicative and omissive effort. [] The final ruling was probable severe turbulence.. "Turska was the one to fear, not Bob, Mrs Spears once said. * Douglas DC-6B National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C,[1] was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 16, 1959. She later said she had a premonition that her husband had been on that flight, and she never wavered from it. The company posted $1.027 billion in membership fee income compared to $967 million a year earlier, a $60 million increase, or 6.2%. Seattle, Washington, United States. National Airlines Flight 967 Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. ", Tampa International Airport, FL (TPA/KTPA), New Orleans International Airport, LA (MSY/KMSY), Accident investigation report completed and information captured, 57 km (35.6 mls) E off Pilottown, LA [Gulf of Mexico] (. Precision Air sales officer Yvonne Baldwin said the route had enormous potential, and will shorten travel times between the two countries which until now were via Nairobi in Kenya. Call 1-650-967-2500 for Cirrus purchase and training assistance, or to take my online seminar: So You Wa . St. Petersburg Times. Thank you for the great write-up. Interchange flights like this were fairly common before the CAB awarded more direct routes beginning with the Southeast to West Coast case in 1961.
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