Mohawk Airlines Flight 112

Mohawk Airlines Flight 112 was a scheduled passenger flight from Rochester-Monroe Airport in Rochester, New York to Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey. On July 2, 1963, the aircraft operating the flight, a Martin 4-0-4 with a total of 15,970 operational hours, crashed during takeoff. The accident killed 7 people (2 crewmen and 5 passengers) and injured 36.

Mohawk Airlines Flight 112

A Martin 4-0-4 similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date	July 2, 1963
Summary	Pilot error, bad weather as a contributing factor
Site	Rochester-Monroe Airport, Rochester, New York, United States 43°07′24″N 77°40′32″W
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Martin 4-0-4
Operator	Mohawk Airlines, Inc.
Registration	N449A
Flight origin	Rochester-Monroe Airport, Rochester, New York
Last stopover	Newark International Airport, Newark, New Jersey
Passengers	40
Crew	3
Fatalities	7
Injuries	36
Survivors	36

Flight 112 attempted to take off on Rochester's runway 28 into a heavy thunderstorm. The co-pilot was unable to maintain control of the aircraft, and it fell to earth two minutes after takeoff. The plane struck the ground left wing-first. It then cartwheeled wing-over-wing and caught fire.

The co-pilot was flying the plane from the left seat in violation of company policy. Both pilots working together were unable to control the plane, as the wind had shifted from a headwind to a tailwind.

The Civil Aeronautics Board found the cause of the accident to be the pilot's decision to take off in bad weather, and cited the weather itself as a contributing factor.

References

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
• 420 F.2d 115 136 U.S.App.D.C. 273 Joan S. NEFF, Administratrix of the Estate of John W. Neff v.UNITED STATES of America, Appellant. No. 22262. United States Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit. (Archive)

External links

• Final report - Civil Aeronautics Board
• 1963 Mohawk Airlines Crash at Monroe County Airport Professional Firefighters (Archive)