While spiralling, radio contact was established with Coast Guard aircraft although no direct contact was possible with Coast Guard surface vessels due to the lack of compatible radio frequencies. In the postwar era, its fleet consisted of the: * Convair CV-340 Streaming flight data feed for enterprise integrations with real-time, historical and predictive flight data. * Convair CV-440 Absolutely fascinating mystery. It may be possible that the stop was in Dallas during the time of the crash. Flight hour logbooks will be required at time of your Flight Assessment for verification. In that interview, he said he knew about the plane crash, admitted taking Spears to see his wife, and said that Spears had confided in him that he wanted to start a new life: He wanted to change his character, Turska said, change his fingerprints, change everything.. The inertia of the bodies was plainly downward and forward and the forces at impact were severe. He was sentenced to the maximum term of 5 years. VIGOR searched, using Navy sonar. Extraterrestrials? With this information, Mrs Taylor's lawyer called the Tampa police department and the newspapers. Turska participated in a few interviews about the case--notably in Life Magazine--in which he played the part of a bemused bystander. Spears had a long history of crime, having been arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases. Dr Spears (who was calling himself Dr Rhodes) had tried to file down the numbers on the cars registration numbers and had even used dynamite to damage the car's crankcase. - January 6, 1960, a DC-6B en route from New York to Miami was destroyed by a bomb near Bolivia, North Carolina, killing all 34 on board. This search was also unsuccessful. Air Methods. And just a freak coincidence that a couple of conmen just happened to have a ticket? The last radio contact with the flight was at 12:44 AM, when the flight contacted company radio in New Orleans. 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. Crew qualifications and experience were amply high in all respects and an investigation disclosed no irregularity in this connection. He was not a licensed MD, and his license to practice naturopathy had been revoked in 1957. Down the rabbit hole I go. . In the weeks after the crash, the mystery of Flight 967 deepened. The Board, with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has thoroughly investigated Mr. National Airlines Flight 967; When she read that Dr Robert Spears had been a victim of the air disaster, she became even more curious. The mafia? 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. Great write up! Length approx. I don't think Dr. Spears nor Taylor planned it/caused it, but Spears decided to take advantage of it after hearing what had happened. Accordingly, communications between Coast Guard surface vessels and the National Airlines Convair were relayed by Coast Guard aircraft. St. Petersburg Times. PROBABLE CAUSE: "Because of the lack of physical evidence, the probable cause of this accident is unknown. 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. The flight had been on its way from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. However, at Pilottown, Louisiana, the United States Coast Guard maintains a manned lookout tower for observing surface craft approaching and departing the port of New Orleans. Boeing. NATIONAL AIRLINES, INC., DOUGLAS DC-7B, N4891C [] The fire marks on bodies and on debris were of the type caused exclusively by a flash surface fire, probably both hot and brief, upon impact with the water. Thats another good one if youre not already familiar with it. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. [] Both men were in the confidence rackets at one time. Mrs Spears? Could it be that in spite of this vast, tangled web--this was just another plane crash? Boeing 747-400BCF National Airlines N702CA Scale 1/400 XX4975. A Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Orlando was diverted to an airport in Jacksonville, Fla., Thursday, March 2, 2023, after a battery from a passenger's item caught fire in an overhead bin . This air traffic control instruction/clearance was issued through National Airlines' radio station/office at Pensacola, Florida, a normal procedure before making the approach to Moisant International Airport (KMSY) in New Orleans. Shortly thereafter a Coast Guard helicopter arrived. She ultimately succeeded, and her son Junior received an undisclosed settlement. The flight had been on its way from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. Great attention to detail. Nothing. Weather conditions in the area were poor, which meant that the crew had . Spears had been a close friend of her husband, and she had never considered him to be a good influence. -, Press J to jump to the feed. Departure from Tampa, with the same crew, was at 2332. Some of the bodies showed distinct evidence of burning on portions exposed above their waterlines. She told them all about her missing husband and his missing pink Plymouth, which sparked a nationwide search. Everyone loved the read as the comments here suggest and so did I but does anyone have a theory they favor? Alan C. Logan is among those who dismiss this second story as fiction. Start your trial now! National Airlines Flight 2511, registration N8225H, was a Douglas DC-6B aircraft which exploded over Bolivia, North Carolina en route from New York International (Idlewild) Airport, New York City, New York, to Miami, Florida on January 6, 1960.All 34 on board were killed in the accident. He felt he had been a burden and it was a chance to free us of that burden.. The the bodies can get torn apart depending on their exact location on the plane, whether they were strapped in or not. After several decades of false names, new identities, fresh starts, abandoned wives, abandoned lives--he had spent the last years running "a lucrative underground abortion business". I believe him lost in the crash.". National Airlines Flight 967 of November 15, 1959, was scheduled between Miami, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with a stop at Tampa, Florida. [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. She contacted his work--they knew nothing. 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. These were determined, the aircraft were spiralled down to the same site, and the bearings were radioed to the Coast Guard and plotted on their charts as 2907'N and 8833'W. The freezing level along the route was at about 14,000feet and the winds at that altitude were generally from the northwest at 10-20knots. The theory of a Svengalian puppet master was convenient not just for the former Mrs Taylor. After this case, planes continued to disintegrate in flight due to explosive decompression. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the accident. Curiously, Al Taylor had recently been reported missing. But even then there would be no point in destroying the plane or himself. She called Spearss wife (who was still grieving at that time) and asked if she had seen or heard from Taylor. The unplanned water landing caught everyone . He kept checking his watch, his ex-wife later said, and looked anxious to leave". The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by: National Airlines Flight 967 took off from Tampa (TPA) at 23:32 for a flight to New Orleans (MSY) at FL140. FBI National Academy. Yeah, it's kinda sad (and annoying) that such a good read isn't inspiring much in the way of discussion hardly at all. By all accounts, he was in financial difficulties, and had many debts. Pertinent details are: William Allen Taylor, of Tampa, Florida, disappeared November 15, 1959, after telephoning his employer he would be late for work. There was no radio message of impending trouble. He ran unsuccessfully for Idaho County Coroner in 1972 on the Republican ticket. Yet as Logan points out, the crate of dynamite found on Turskas property was actually purchased in Tucson, and Spears had no way of getting into Tuscon from Turska's compound unless Turska himself drove him. 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 Turska claimed at the time he did not even know about the airplane crash. This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The conclusion of the Official CAB Accident Report (June 11, 1962): The Board, with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has thoroughly investigated Mr Spears activities in order to determine whether they might have had any bearing upon the accident. National Airlines Flight 967 took off from Tampa (TPA) at 23:32 for a flight to New Orleans (MSY) at FL140. The agent's attention was drawn elsewhere, however, and he never noticed if the man boarded the flight or not. Spears immediately said he had made the whole thing up after the reporter had pressured him to tell him something new. - January 14, 1951, a DC-4 crashed on landing at Philadelphia Airport with 7 fatalities. From March16 through25,1960, the VITAL and the BITTERN continued searching in other areas and many botton contacts were obtained but none proved to be aircraft wreckage. I know that he loved those babies and that if he were alive I am sure I would have heard from him. Acknowledging "there is little or no physical evidence on which to explain this accident", the CAB was forced to conclude, after nearly three years of investigation: Because of lack of physical evidence, the probable cause of this accident is unknown. 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 . Explosive decompression makes a plane crash look like the plane was blown up with a large bomb, but minus any larger pieces of wreckage as well as explosive residue proving it. 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. DL967 Flight Tracker - Track the real-time flight status of Delta Air Lines DL 967 live using the FlightStats Global Flight Tracker. Flight crew []. National Airlines Flight 967; A Delta Airlines DC-7, similar to the accident aircraft. A bomb was suspected. The Civil Aeronautics Board (predecessor of the NTSB) did not find a probable cause for the accident due to the lack of evidence. According to this new story, in November 1959 Spears was extremely worried about the upcoming abortion trial in Los Angeles. * Lockheed Super H Constellation - May 1, 1961, Antulio Ramirez Ortiz hijacks a National Airlines flight from Miami International Airport to Cuba. Best write up Ive ever read. . On November 16, 1959, an airplane vanished over the Gulf of Mexico, with 42 people onboard. 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. Frank E. Todd of Miami, the pilot, radioed his last message at 12:44a.m. February 1, 1960 LINK. All 42occupants, 36passengers and 6crew members, were killed. Radar operators at a military station at Houma, Louisiana, picked up the flight at 12:46 AM. A considerable amount of the floating debris also exhibited signs of burning but only above waterlines. Taylor had also been married before his marriage to Alice. The point of fade from the scope was normal and within correlation limits. The flight originated in Miami at 1022 PM the p 18cm Wingspan approx. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. However, Taylor himself purchased $37,500.00 worth of life insurance at the airport; when his ex-wife attempted to collect on that policy, authorities were notified. In spite of this string of suspicious details, the airplane was still missing, therefore there was no hope of charging Spears with anything relating to the crash. So why the stories from Spears? The flight accepted the clearance and stated it would remain at 14,000feet a little longer. The day before the fateful flight, Taylor had visited his ex-wife Alice Steel Taylor at her home, looking for their adult son Junior, who wasnt home. Members of the party hunting in the shark-infested waters for bodies believe there was an explosion. He asked her not to tell Junior this. 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. Add hotel. The scenes in this video are from the documentary series Air Crash Investigation.None of them belong to me.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Airlines_. The first, at Dauphin Island, near Mobile, Alabama, reported that Flight967 continued on flight plan course during the entire time it was under their surveillance. The line between the airports does. Robert Vernon Spears, of Dallas, Texas, was listed as a passenger on Flight967. WOW! The tower is about 30 miles west of the crash site. Clearly in shock, she turned to the reporter and said: "What can I say? * Lockheed L-188 Electra Cheapest ticket price on Dubai to Toronto Skycraft Air Transport flight air ticket at MakeMyTrip UAE. This aircraft was flown to Tampa then out the NL route toward New Orleans to the position of 2913'N, 8840'W, at an altitude of 14,000feet.