Braniff Flight 250

Braniff Airways Flight 250

N1553, the aircraft involved, pictured at Dallas Love Field in July 1966, several weeks prior to the accident
Accident summary
Date	August 6, 1966
Summary	In-flight structural failure
Site	Richardson County, near Falls City, Nebraska 40°10′29.80″N 95°32′20.30″W / 40.1749444°N 95.5389722°W / 40.1749444; -95.5389722Coordinates: 40°10′29.80″N 95°32′20.30″W / 40.1749444°N 95.5389722°W / 40.1749444; -95.5389722
Passengers	38
Crew	4
Fatalities	42 (all)
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	BAC 1-11-203AE
Operator	Braniff Airways
Registration	N1553
Flight origin	New Orleans International Airport
1st stopover	Shreveport Regional Airport
2nd stopover	Fort Smith Regional Airport
3rd stopover	Tulsa International Airport
4th stopover	Kansas City Municipal Airport
5th stopover	Eppley Airfield
Destination	Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport

Braniff Airways Flight 250 crashed near Falls City, Nebraska, on August 6, 1966, en route to Omaha from Kansas City, Missouri. Thirty-eight passengers and four crew members were killed in the crash, which occurred in a farm field late on a Saturday night. In-flight structural failure due to extreme turbulence in an avoidable weather hazard was cited as the cause.

The aircraft involved was a BAC 1-11-203AE, registration N1553; the aircraft was manufactured in December 1965. The cockpit crew consisted of Captain Donald Pauly, 47, and First Officer James Hilliker, 39. Captain Pauly was highly experienced with 20,767 flying hours, 549 of which was in the BAC-1-11. He possessed type ratings in other aircraft including the DC-3, the DC-6, DC-7 and the Convair family. First Officer Hilliker was less experienced, with 9,269 flying hours, 685 in the BAC-1-11. According to the NTSB report, he had two type ratings in the BAC-1-11 and the Convair family.

Flight 250 was operated by Braniff between New Orleans and Minneapolis with stops in between at Shreveport, Fort Smith, Tulsa, Kansas City, and Omaha. It departed Kansas City at 22:55 on an IFR clearance to Omaha at FL200. However, the crew asked if they could remain at 5,000 feet (1,520 m) because of the weather. The flight remained at 6,000 feet (1,830 m) until permission was received at 23:06 to descend to 5,000 feet. At 23:08 the crew contacted a company flight that had just departed Omaha. This flight reported moderate to light turbulence. About four minutes later the aircraft entered an updraft within an area of active squall line of severe thunderstorms. The 1-11 violently accelerated upward and in a left roll. At this time the right tailplane and the fin failed. The aircraft then pitched nose down and within one or two seconds the right wing failed as well. The plane tumbled down in flames until stabilizing into a flat spin before impacting the ground. The probable cause was in-flight structural failure caused by extreme turbulence during operation of the aircraft in an area of avoidable hazardous weather.