Pan Am Flight 100
 Diagram of the collision showing the flight path, airspeed, and point of impact | |
| Mid-air collision | |
|---|---|
| Date | 30 January 1949 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision |
| Site | Port Washington, North Hempstead, United States 40°49′44″N 73°41′12″W / 40.82889°N 73.68667°W |
| Total fatalities | 2 |
| Total survivors | 33 |
| First aircraft | |
 The Lockheed L-749A Constellation involved in the collision, now in service with Air France in 1955 | |
| Type | Lockheed L-749A Constellation |
| Name | Clipper Monarch of the Skies |
| Operator | Pan American World Airways |
| IATA flight No. | PA100 |
| ICAO flight No. | PAA100 |
| Call sign | CLIPPER 100 |
| Registration | NC86530 |
| Flight origin | LaGuardia Airport, East Elmhurst, United States |
| Destination | Shannon Airport, Shannon, Ireland |
| Occupants | 33 |
| Passengers | 23 |
| Crew | 10 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Survivors | 33 |
| Second aircraft | |
 A Cessna 140, similar to the one involved in the collision | |
| Type | Cessna 140 |
| Operator | Private |
| Registration | NC76891 |
| Flight origin | Meriden Airport,[a] Meriden, United States |
| Destination | Meriden Airport,[a] Meriden, United States |
| Occupants | 2 |
| Passengers | 1 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Pan Am Flight 100 was a scheduled passenger flight from La Guardia Airport to Shannon Airport operated by Pan American World Airways on 30 January 1949 with a Lockheed L-749A Constellation, collided in mid-air over Port Washington, New York, with a Cessna 140 that was on a local flight from Meriden Airport[a]. The Constellation sustained substantial damage but landed without casualties at Mitchel Air Force Base. The Cessna crashed, resulting in the death of the pilot and the sole passenger.[1] The Civil Aeronautics Board attributed the collision to the failure of both pilots to observe and avoid each other.[2]
Passengers and crew
The pilot in command of the Constellation was George F. Knuth, who was later killed in 1963 while serving as the captain of Pan Am Flight 214.[3][4] Passengers aboard the Constellation included English theatre producer Harold Fielding and Laszlo Halasz, director of the New York City Opera.[5]
Notes
- ^ a b c Now known as Meriden Markham Municipal Airport.
References
- ^ "Accident Lockheed L-749A Constellation NC86530, Sunday 30 January 1949". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "Accident Investigation Report: Pan American Airways, Inc. and Cessna 140 - Port Washington, Long Island, New York, January 30, 1949" (PDF). Civil Aeronautics Board. 10 October 1949. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "2 in Tiny Plane Are Killed As It Rips Clipper in Flight". The New York Times. 31 January 1949. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "List of Victims in Crash". The New York Times. 10 December 1963. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ Lee, Henry (31 January 1949). "Tiny Plane Hits Airliner Over L. I., 3 Killed". Daily News. New York. p. 2C. Retrieved 21 June 2025 – via Newspapers.com.