The disappearance of the ill-fated Pan Am
Flight 7 continues to intrigue people around the world. In November 1957, Flight 7 crashed en route to Honolulu, killing all on board. While bodies and debris were later found, the cause of the airplane crash
was never determined. The flight was a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
– a popular long-range airliner at the time. Not all Pan Am’s Stratocriuser crashes ended in tragedy. Once
Pan Am pulled of a fatality-free ditching with a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser.
1
A luxury round-the-world flight
Flight 7 was to make 15 stops around the world
|
Aircraft type: |
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 10-29 |
|---|---|
|
Aircraft name: |
Clipper Romance of the Skies |
|
Ticket price: |
$300 |
Pan Am’s Flight 7 was intended to be a luxury around the world
flight, with Honolulu being the first 10-hour leg of the journey. It was a Pan Am westbound flight originating in San Francisco and was scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia the following Wednesday (as it wouldn’t have been a truly round-the-world flight).
Flight 7 was scheduled to make 15 stops as it flew around the world. These were (in order) Honolulu, Wake Island, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Rangoon, Karachi, Beirut, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Brussels, London, Glasgow, Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. According to knewz, the ticket cost $300, and the passengers were served champagne, caviar, and a seven-course dinner.
2
No survivors
All 44 people onboard died
|
Passengers: |
36 |
|---|---|
|
Crew: |
8 |
|
Fatalities: |
44 (no survivors) |
There were 44 people on board the Boeing 377 Stratocrusier as it flew on the first leg of the journey to Honolulu (including 36 passengers and 8 crew). It was one of 13 Boeing 377 Stratocruisers that would suffer hull-loss accidents between 1951 and 1970 (out of 56 built) – although it claimed a large percentage of the 139 people who died in Stratocruiser accidents.
Search and research found the site of the crash on November 14 around 1,000 miles northeast of Honolulu and around 100 miles north of the flight’s planned track. In all, 19 bodies were recovered from the water (14 of these were found wearing life jackets). One passenger was still strapped in a seat. None of the bodies had shoes on, suggesting the passengers had some advanced warning before the crash.
3
A massive Navy search
|
Crash date: |
November 8th 1957 |
|---|---|
|
Discovered by: |
US Navy aircraft |
|
Date discovered: |
November 14th 1957 |
After being alerted of the Stratocruiser’s disappearance, the US Navy started a massive search effort to find it. By the day after the crash, the search effort included 14 surface ships, the two submarines USS Cusk and USS Carbonero, and 30 aircraft (including aircraft from Honolulu). The Navy vessels included the Essex-class aircraft carrier, the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47).
Additionally, thinking that the flight’s navigation equipment could have failed, the Coast Guard ordered all ships at Pearl Harbor to shine their lights into the sky as beacons. The airliner had crashed on November 8, and it wasn’t until November 14 that Navy search planes found wreckage and bodies in the water. All the bodies found had multiple fractures and external injuries, showing the aircraft had struck the water with tremendous force.
4
Crash still mysterious
Despite much written, the cause of crash remains undetermined
|
Cause of crash: |
Never determined |
|---|---|
|
Crash time: |
17:27 |
|
Notable for: |
Conspiracies |
The US Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) investigated the accident, but it was unable to determine the cause due to insufficient evidence. Various theories have been proposed (including pilot error, structural problems, and engine failure), but no one can prove any of these definitively.
As with many solved mysteries and airplane disappearances (like Malaysian Airlines MH370
in 2011), Pan Am Flight 7 has spawned many conspiracy theories. The last time Flight 7 reported in (17:04), everything was normal. The crash happened just minutes later and occurred at 17:27 (determined from wristwatches recovered on bodies). There was no indication of sabotage.
5
Memorial unveiled in 2023
A memorial lists the names of the victims
|
Unveiled: |
April 4th, 2023 |
|---|---|
|
Date on memorial: |
November 2022 |
|
Location: |
Millbrae History Museum |
On April 4th, 2023, a granite slap memorial was unveiled in remembrance of those who perished in the accident by the Pan Am Flight 7 Memorial Committee (made up of relatives of the victims). It is located near the San Francisco International Airport and memorializes the names of the 44 passengers.
The memorial is on the grounds of the Millbrae History Museum, 420 Polar Avenue, which is open on Saturdays from noon to 16.00. The stone slap reads, “In memory of the 44 lives lost on November 8, 1975, when pan American Boeing Stratocruiser N90944, operating as Flight 7 from San Francisco International Airport, crashed in the Pacific Ocean en route to Honolulu, Hawaii, near the point of no return.”