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The Ditching of Pan Am Flight 6
On October 16, 1956, Pan Am Flight 6 (a BoeÂing 377 StratoÂcruiser long-range airÂliner develÂoped from the C-97 StraÂtoÂfreighter miliÂtary transÂport), departed on a around-the-world comÂmerÂcial pasÂsenÂger flight (N90943) from Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, at 8:26pm HST on the concluding leg to San Francisco. After passing the point of no return, the number one engine entered an overspeeding regime. The First Officer, who was flying the plane, immediately slowed the aircraft by further reducing power and extending the flaps, then an attempt was made to feather the number one propeller.
The propeller would not feaÂther and the engine conÂtinÂued to turn at exÂcesÂsive RPM. The captain deÂcided to cut off the oil supÂply to the enÂgine. EvenÂtually, the RPM deÂclined and the enÂgine seized. The proÂpeller conÂtinued to windÂmill in the air stream causing exÂcesÂsive paraÂsitic drag which significantly increased the fuel conÂsumpÂtion. Climb power was then applied to the remaining three engines in an attempt to slow the rate of descent. The number four engine then began to fail and soon was able to proÂduce only partial power at full throttle. At 0245 the number four engine began to backfire, forcing the crew to shut it down and feather the propeller.
The crew calÂculated the addiÂtional aeroÂdyÂnamic drag left them with inÂsufÂfiÂcient fuel remaining to reach San FranÂcisco or return to HonoÂlulu. At that time the United States Coast Guard mainÂtained a ship known as Ocean Station November between Hawaii and the California coast. Pan Am Flight 6 was flown to the USCGC Pontchartrain's location and circled the station until daylight. They finally were able to level off at 2,000 feet with just the power of the two remaining engines.
The Ditching of Pan Am Flight 6
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