CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD
AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT
WESTERN AIR LINES, INC., N93131
DC-6B, LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
DECEMBER 17, 1963
SYNOPSIS
Western Air Lines, Inc., Flight 221, a Douglas DC-63, N93131, struck the runway with the Nos. 1 and 2 propellers while executing a go-around following an instrument approach to runway 25L at Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, California, at 2341 P.s.t., on December 17, 1963. There were no injuries to any of the 46 occupants.
Flight 221, a regularly scheduled passenger flight from San Francisco, California, nonstop to Los Angeles International Airport, entered a fog condition immediately after touchdown on runway 25L, and a go-around was initiated. after becoming airborne the aircraft settled back onto the runway with its land- ing gear in transit to the up position. The impact with the runway caused separation of the No. 2 propeller and minor damage to the No. 1 propeller. The go-around was continued on three engines and the flight diverted to Burbank, California, where a successful landing was accomplished.
The Board determines the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the pilot to maintain a positive rate of climb and the premature retraction of the landing gear during a go-around in fog conditions.
Accident
Western Air Lines, Inc., (WAL) Flight 221, a Douglas DC-6B, N93131, operating as a regularly scheduled passenger flight from San Francisco, California, nonstop to Los Angeles, California, struck runway 25L with the Nos. 1 and 2 propellers while executing a go-around under instrument flight conditions at Los Angeles International Airport on December 17, 1963, at 2341 P.s.t.[1] After striking the runway, the No. 2 propeller separated from the aircraft, and a three-engine climbout was effected. The flight diverted to the Lockheed Air Terminal, Burbank, California. There were no injuries to any of the 46 occupants.
Investigation
The flight had been dispatched from Los Angeles under a single[2] release as
