mkh32404 From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 21 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3661 times:
Can anybody offer any insight to the circumstances surrounding National Airlines B727-200 NA4474 "Donna" that landed in Escambia Bay on approach to PNS 8 May 1978?
I read recently that some safety regulations were changed as a result of this incident. I believe it had something to do with the passengers not being briefed on overwater evactuation although this flight couldn't have been over Escambia Bay for a few minutes at the most.
n471wn From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1196 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 6 hours ago) and read 3625 times:
Correct registration is N4744 and the fuselage was taken to Van Nuys Airport in California where the salvagers sold it to a company that thought they could rebuild it but the attempt failed and it was scrapped at that location.
DL_Mech From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 1769 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 3463 times:
Here's a cool photo with "Donna" in the background:
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2756 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3377 times:
Oh, SH*T!! Y'all are gonna make me bawl like a newborn! I miss NA (and those "good old days")!!
doulasc From United States of America, joined Dec 2011, 354 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3325 times:
If deregulation never happened and National survived into the 80s and beyond do you think they would have ordered the Boeing 757 and 767 and today maybe Boeing 737 or a Airbus flleet.
ridgid727 From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 928 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3290 times:
GSPSPOT From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 2756 posts, RR: 2 Reply 6, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3282 times:
I
Quoting doulasc (Reply 4): If deregulation never happened and National survived into the 80s and beyond do you think they would have ordered the Boeing 757 and 767 and today maybe Boeing 737 or a Airbus flleet.
I would hope, that in whatever case, they would keep a simplified fleet, similar to the 727 and DC10 fleet they had in the 70's. You know, one type for short to medium-length & thin routes, and the other for long-hauls & heavily traveled routes.
727LOVER From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5769 posts, RR: 20 Reply 7, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 3255 times:
ridgid727, WOW, thanks, had never seen those before. Ironically, N4744 was on the cover of a book about National published in 1970. On wikipedia, the routing of 193 is different, but the way I remember is MIA-MLB-TPA-MSY-MOB-PNS.......am I right?
mkh32404 From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 21 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 3170 times:
Quoting n471wn (Reply 1): Correct registration is N4744 and the fuselage
Thanks for the correction. Typo. Is there a way I can correct this?
rwy04lga From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 2250 posts, RR: 7 Reply 9, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2942 times:
Quoting ridgid727 (Reply 5): Whatever happened to Tammy. My first flight ever aboard a DC10
Mine was ship 60, 17Dec1971. New DC-10 service TPA-JFK.
The early bird gets the worm, BUT...the second mouse gets the cheese!
LGA777 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1102 posts, RR: 22 Reply 10, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2620 times:
Quoting rwy04lga (Reply 9): Mine was ship 60, 17Dec1971. New DC-10 service TPA-JFK.
rwy04lga, same aircraft for me I beat you by about a month, NAL brought N60NA to TPA for a public
open house and demo flights that were sold to the general public. I think I paid $15 usd for the awesome
45 to 60 minute flight from TPA over Clearwater Beach and them brand new Disney World. Flight was open seating so got a nice window seat in F and was my first ride on a wide body and loved it.
And re N4744 I could have swarn I saw parts of the fuselage still in NAL colors while touring MHV Mohave in 1992. Is it possible it was scrapped at VNY and sections sent to MHV does anyone know?
n471wn From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1196 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2570 times:
Quoting LGA777 (Reply 10): And re N4744 I could have swarn I saw parts of the fuselage still in NAL colors while touring MHV Mohave in 1992. Is it possible it was scrapped at VNY and sections sent to MHV does anyone know?
Yes that is exactly what happened and where the parts ended up....
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11738 posts, RR: 51 Reply 12, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2530 times:
I have been riding on Donna (and Tammy, Barbara, Connie, and others) many many times. She has always given me a great ride.
727LOVER From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5769 posts, RR: 20 Reply 13, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 2417 times:
I have seen 2, not 1, but 2 folks on this site that swore this plane flew again, which I dont believe.......true?
maxpower1954 From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 861 posts, RR: 5 Reply 14, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 2307 times:
Quoting 727LOVER (Reply 13): I have seen 2, not 1, but 2 folks on this site that swore this plane flew again, which I dont believe.......true?
You would be correct and they would be wrong. American Jet Industries bought the airframe in 1979 and re-registered it as N58AJ with the intent to rebuild, but it had sat in the bay two weeks before recovery and was too far gone. It was broken up in 1982. This info is from the TAHS Boeing production list. They are no doubt confusing this with the very similar JAL DC-8 ditching at SFO in 1968. That aircraft WAS repaired and flew over 30 years after the accident.
There is a self-published book called "Runway Illusion", written by the flight engineer, Ken Stockwell about the crash of National 193. I'll be kind and say he really needed an editor. In the preface, he states the it's a true story but the names of the people and the airline have been changed to protect them, then halfway through the book he refers only to National, finally at the end is the complete accident report unedited! I got it on my Kindle for 8.49, can't say I would reccomend it unless you are a hardcore National 193 enthusist.
ridgid727 From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 928 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 2283 times:
Another interesting NA incident is NA 27 where the fan assembly came apart on engine #3 of N60NA (DC10) ierced the cabin etc, I believe one was killed in that incident.
maxpower1954 From United States of America, joined Sep 2008, 861 posts, RR: 5 Reply 16, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2179 times:
Quoting ridgid727 (Reply 15): Another interesting NA incident is NA 27 where the fan assembly came apart on engine #3 of N60NA (DC10) ierced the cabin etc, I believe one was killed in that incident.
Yes the poor soul got sucked outside through a broken window; exaxctly like the end of
Auric Goldfinger. There is a source that said the body was found, but I hlve never found any proof of this.
type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4397 posts, RR: 20 Reply 17, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2162 times:
In that case supposedly the pilots were playing around with the throttles when the engine let go, uncontained.
Fly North Central Airlines..The route of the Northliners!
jamake1 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 895 posts, RR: 2 Reply 18, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 2146 times:
The following link is a Fox10 News report from Pensacola that was produced following the Hudson River ditching of US flight 1549. The link also has a video that features an interview with one of the survivors of National flight 193 along with an interview of the tug boat captain who rescued most of the passengers and crew. There is footage of A/C N4744 resting in Escambia Bay. This video report is a good watch for those who are interested in this accident.
WA707atMSP From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2057 posts, RR: 12 Reply 19, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 1997 times:
Quoting maxpower1954 (Reply 16): Quoting ridgid727 (Reply 15):
Another interesting NA incident is NA 27 where the fan assembly came apart on engine #3 of N60NA (DC10) ierced the cabin etc, I believe one was killed in that incident.
Yes the poor soul got sucked outside through a broken window; exaxctly like the end of
Auric Goldfinger. There is a source that said the body was found, but I hlve never found any proof of this.
Quoting type-rated (Reply 17): In that case supposedly the pilots were playing around with the throttles when the engine let go, uncontained.
MacArthur Job's incredible "Air Disaster - Volume I" has a chapter on this incident. Very sobering reading.
This book is long out of print, but used copies are easily obtainable. You won't be disappointed if you buy it!
N62NA From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3755 posts, RR: 4 Reply 20, posted (1 year 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1911 times:
Quoting doulasc (Reply 4): If deregulation never happened and National survived into the 80s and beyond do you think they would have ordered the Boeing 757 and 767 and today maybe Boeing 737 or a Airbus flleet.
My guess is they would have gone with 738s to replace the 727-200s (after holding on to them forever) and went with the 763 to replace the DC-10s. In other words, they would have went from a very interesting looking fleet to today's boring 1 engine hanging off each wing fleet.
Quoting rwy04lga (Reply 9): Mine was ship 60, 17Dec1971. New DC-10 service TPA-JFK.
My first DC-10 (and first widebody) flight was N62NA operating as National flight #8 from MIA-EWR in May of 1976.
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From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 21 posts, 
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