Without an aircraft, this was no easy task. (If any were available prior to my introduction to flying, though, I can't be sure.) * Douglas DC-6B I am not a shill but it is an interesting book.]. I do think Taylor took Spears spot on the plane last minute (hence only the briefcase, no luggage), but I don't think Taylor nor Spears intended to blow up the plane. . Page : CAB Accident Report, National Airlines Flight 967.pdf/1 Sun 4/9. 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 aircraft was a DC-7, N 4891C, owned by Delta Air Lines and operated by National under an equipment interchange agreement. Spears had a long history of crime, having been arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases. Some of the bodies showed distinct evidence of burning on portions exposed above their waterlines. Down the rabbit hole I go. [4], Spears died in Dallas, Texas on May 2, 1969, of coronary thrombosis. These were her statements: "If my husband was on that plane, I can accept it although my life will be hard. The pilot planned to conduct solo aerobatic flight manoeuvres in the 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. I have not yet been back in that direction, but in my few decades of air travel, every flight to Tampa meant a stop in Houston before moving on, and the same can be said for the return flight. 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. Flight status, tracking, and historical data for National Aeronautics and Space Administration 967 (NASA967) 01-Mar-2023 (KEFD-KVCT) including scheduled, estimated, and actual departure and arrival times. According to Alan C. Logans book, Taylor had also met with Frank in New York (though Logan does not explain why). 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 . Aviation accidents and incidents in 1978 () Jan 1 Air India Flight 855; Posts about National Airlines Flight 967 written by The Flightpath. 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. Lowest fares guaranteed on flights from Dubai to Toronto by Skycraft Air Transport. . Personally I suspect that Logan has at least partially fallen prey to the charms of Dr Spears--I highly doubt Taylor is living it up in South America--but his questions are interesting ones. And who was he? 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. According to the Senior Passenger Agent for National Airlines, there were no established procedures in 1959 for determining if a reporting passenger was the same person for whom the reservation was made. The media, of course, went straight to Dr Spearss wife. 03 hrs 40 mins . I want to mention one thing; you are a class act for the ending. Divers established that the contact was a sunken ship. National Airlines Flight 967 - Unionpedia, the concept map ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-7B N4891C Pilottown, LA [Gulf of Mexico] 02:55. Investigation disproved the possibility of collision with another aircraft, either civil or military, and there were no missiles or rockets in flight at the time and place. [1] November 16 National Airlines Flight 967, a Douglas DC-7B, crashes in the Gulf of Mexico with the loss of all 42 people on board . Except for the land areas and coastal waters from Mobile westward, skies were virtually clear and visibility excellent. Logan says Taylors ex-wife was media-savvy--and points out that she had a potential financial motive to portray Taylor as an unwitting passenger on that flight. 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. However, the search party aboard the National Convair had decided that the last known radar position (2913'N, 8840'W) should be searched first. During this period an underwater television camera was lowered twice on the contact from the VIGOR but only marine life was observed. All 42 occupants perished. We appreciate you trying our new Live Surface Map feature. If the plane had any larger parts recoverable, they might have been able to tell if dynamite was the cause by examining residues or scorch marks. Turska? 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. National Airlines Flight 967: Latest News & Videos, Photos about Robert Vernon Spears (June 26, 1894 - May 2, 1969) was a naturopath who is alleged to have placed a bomb aboard National Airlines Flight 967, an aircraft that went missing over the Gulf of Mexico on November 16, 1959, killing 42 people.. History. * C-46 Commando Long read, but totally worth it! By using and further navigating this website, you accept this. The ultimate flight tracking suite for small aircraft/general aviation (GA) owners and operators. She also said she had begged him to turn himself in but he refused. 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 is little or no physical evidence upon which to explain this accident. He was cleared by the New Orleans Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC - ZNO) located in the terminal building at New Orleans Lakefront Airport to descend to and maintain 5,000 feet and to report leaving 8,000 feet. Although sabotage was suspected, no definite cause of the crash was determined. [] Both men were in the confidence rackets at one time. Robert Vernon Spears, of Dallas, Texas, was listed as a passenger on Flight967. Search and rescue aircraft spotted scattered debris and a number of bodies in the vicinity of the last radar return, about 35 miles east of Pilottown, Louisiana; the remains of 10 individuals were eventually located. National Airlines Flight 967 - Wikipedia Mr Taylor would need to have put just $1.50 into that machine to secure that $37,500 insurance policy (equivalent to more than $300,000 today).]. The line between the airports does. She contacted his work--they knew nothing. This all changed two months after the crash, on January 20, 1960, when Robert Vernon Spears was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, in possession of a stolen car--a salmon-pink Plymouth. Life Magazine. Don't have an account? The last radar contact with the aircraft--made at 12:55 am, over the open sea--had indicated the plane was still on course to its destination at the time . His testimony indicates that the light was red or dark red, appearing suddenly, lasting a "couple of seconds," and then producing a vertical, white light which fell with a white trail. Pan Am paid too high a price for National, and was ill prepared to integrate National's domestic route network with Pan Am's own globe-girdling international network. Seattle, Washington, United States. [1], Investigators learned that William Taylor, a fellow felon and longtime criminal accomplice of Spears,[1] had boarded Flight 967 using a ticket made out to "Dr. Fri, 26 May 23. . Texas International walked away from their foiled attempt with a multi-million dollar stock profit and was poised for Lorenzo's next venturesa startup airline in the high-density East coast corridor (New York Air), and subsequent acquisition of Continental Airlines. 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. This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. Track National Aeronautics and Space Administration #967 flight from Chennault Intl to Houston Ellington Flugstatus, Tracking und Flugverlaufsdaten fr National Aeronautics and Space Administration 967 (NASA967) 02.03.2023 (KCWF-KEFD) mit geplanten, geschtzten und tatschlichen Start- und Landezeiten I was completely drawn in. You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or. The Gulf - The mystery of Flight 967 and Robert Vernon Spears * Convair CV-440 James L. Sigman, executive officer of the Coast Guard station at New Orleans, said the plane might have exploded when it struck the water. None of these nine persons had been subjected to fire or smoke before death, as demonstrated by low carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood and tissue. . November 16 - National Airlines Flight 967, a Douglas DC-7B, crashes into the Gulf of Mexico while on a flight from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana, in a possible case of sabotage; all 40 on board perish. As for the insurance policy taken out by Taylor, Spears said: Taylor was sort of a nut on insurance. Weather conditions in the area were poor, which meant that the crew had . She later determined that Taylors brown jacket was missing from his apartment, though everything else seemed untouched, just as if he had stepped out to buy a newspaper. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. N967WN Flight Tracking and History 02-Mar-2023 (KPVD-KDCA) - FlightAware At first, Turska downplayed his association with Spears, saying they were merely acquaintances and that Spears had showed up out of the blue. Interchange flights like this were fairly common before the CAB awarded more direct routes beginning with the Southeast to West Coast case in 1961. Repeated calls to it, starting at 0106 on company frequency, were not answered. Braniff International Airways Flight 542, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, registration N9705C, was a scheduled domestic flight from Houston, Texas, bound for New York with scheduled stops in Dallas and Washington, D.C. On September 29, 1959, 23 minutes into the 41-minute flight from Houston to Dallas Love Field, the aircraft disintegrated in mid-air approximately 3.8 miles (6.1 km) southeast of . Note that the whereabouts of DB Cooper on these dates is unaccounted for. The flight was estimated to be at the Crab Intersection, a customary reporting point, at 0004. 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. Coscto also reported a Q2 net sales increase of 6.5%, to $54.24 . Company calls to 967 continued without result for some time. And just a freak coincidence that a couple of conmen just happened to have a ticket? They even raise the possibility that the two con-men may have been plotting something together. National Airlines Flight 967 Blogs, Comments and Archive News on Economictimes.com 65 years old at the time of the crash, he had been the national secretary of the National Association of Naturopathic Physicians and the head of the Texas Naturopath Association. Link. Taylor apparently agreed to this, and boarded the flight that night with nothing more than a briefcase containing the dynamite. The search was resumed on November 26, 1959, to the south and west of the previous area based upon drift studies of recovered debris. None of these nine persons had been subjected to fire or smoke before death, as demonstrated by low carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood and tissue. On January 6, 1960 (less than two months after Flight 967) Frank was on board a National Airlines flight which was blown up by dynamite over North Carolina, resulting in 34 deaths. Please note . National Airlines NASA967 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Flight Tracking National Airlines Flight 967 - Wikiwand The man was a con artist. The flight's next radio contact was with FAA Pensacola radio at 0031 requesting clearance to New Orleans and reestimating NL1 at 0035. A check by the company at this time showed that FAA, New Orleans Approach Control, and ARTC were also out of contact with Flight967. Massey. Sun 4/2. It had his signature on it. This debris included parts of seats, parts of overhead racks, upholstery, items of clothing, parts of leather suitcases, shoes, a pack of cigarettes. National Airlines Flight 967 - Wikipedia Spears had a long history of crime, having been arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases. After he left, he phoned again three times, again asking for Junior. On the night of November 15, 1959, a DC-7 with forty-two persons aboard took off from Tampa International Airport on a regularly scheduled flight to New Orleans. May 3, 1969 LINK, Con Man, Best Man, An Air Crash - A Far Out, Far Up Mystery". National Airlines was a United States airline that operated from 1934 to 1980. A careful search was made for witnesses. National Airlines (1934-1980) Wiki - Everipedia Thanks for writing this all up. The only noteworthy observation from the gate agent in Tampa was "a man in a brown or tan suit, carrying a newspaper but no luggage, hurrying toward the Flight 967 gate right at closing time". Compare airfares and book tickets with lowest price on different airlines in real time 24 hours. Despite intensive searches over the following months and years by the Coast Guard, Civil Aeronautics Board, the US Navy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and private companies--the rest of the wreckage has never been found. There injuries indicated that all nine persons had been seated at the time the aircraft struck the water. Several months later, on November 7, 1960, a commercial organization was engaged to conduct a one-month search using techniques proven effective in prospecting for underwater oil structures. He had become financially successful in Texas as a naturopath, even becoming president of the Texas Naturopath Association in 1954. Taylor apparently then he called his boss at the tire company and asked for the next day off work. This website uses cookies. NATIONAL AIRLINES Careers and Employment 2023 | Indeed.com A B D Yes, they help protect natural wonders No, the National Park Service is a waste of federal funding Yes, national parks provided recreational activities and environmental education No, national parks should return the land to indigenous Americans There was no radio message of impending trouble. It may be possible that the stop was in Dallas during the time of the crash. This matter will be detailed later in this report. Nothing. Retail Store Associate - Located in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Adequate fuel, with reserve, was carried. FBI Records: The Vault National Airlines Flight 967 Someone connected to the abortion case? To me it just doesnt add up that Spears is going to tell his best friend of many decades, a man with essentially no history of violence, to take on this package like its Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.. [] Then you also have to think about the fact that Al Taylor was his friend since 1928. He said he had persuaded Al Taylor to take the dynamite on the airplane by promising to pay him $10,000 to do it. 1021022013 429b747-428bcf 7 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. . All Nippon Airways flight NH967 - Flightradar24 The notion of intimidating the witness thus made no sense. National Airlines Flight 967; What a tangled web. So why the stories from Spears? The aircraft was airworthy at the time of departure and had an adequate amount of fuel. A radar-observed descent was close to Lat. He felt he had been a burden and it was a chance to free us of that burden.. "We don't get newspapers out here, he told reporters. Charts used during the several searches, with search areas well delineated, were coordinated within the various agencies to preclude duplicative and omissive effort. It was founded in 1934 as a Florida-based airline. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience.