- ACCIDENT DETAILS
Date: June 19, 1947
Time: 2340
Location: Al Mayadin, Syria
Operator: Pan American World Airways
Flight #: 121
Route: Karachi - Istanbul
AC Type: Lockheed 049-46-21 Constellation
Registration: NC88845
cn / ln: 2045
Aboard: 36   (passengers:27  crew:9)
Fatalities: 14   (passengers:7  crew:7)
Ground: 0
Summary: While on a flight originating in New York and making its inaugural westbound flight of round-the-world service, the aircraft's No. 1 engine failed half-way on a leg from Karachi to Istanbul. Due to closed airports and inadequate repair facilities, the pilot chose to continue to its destination. Several hours later, the remaining engines overheated and the No.2 engine caught fire causing the plane to crash. Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek) was a deadheading Pan Am pilot aboard, who helped rescue many of the passengers. The crash was blamed on Pan Am's failure to replace the No. 2 engine which had experienced several problems earlier. A fire which resulted from an attempt to feather the No. 2 propeller after the failure of the No. 2 engine thrust bearing. The aircraft was named Clipper Eclipse.
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