Summary In-flight explosion Aircraft type Sikorsky S-42B Date 11 January 1938 Passenger count 0 Location Pago Pago | Passengers 0 Registration NC16734 Fatalities 7 (all) Crew count 7 | |
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Site Pago Pago, American Samoa Aircraft name Samoan Clipper
(formerly Pan American Clipper II) Operator Pan American World Airways Similar Hawaii Clipper, Pan Am Flight 1104, Northwest Airlines Flight 2, 1938 Yosemite TWA crash, Edmonton air crash | ||
Samoan Clipper was one of ten Pan American Airways Sikorsky S-42 flying boats. It exploded near Pago Pago, American Samoa, on January 11, 1938, while piloted by famous aviator Ed Musick. Musick and his crew of six died in the crash. The aircraft was carrying only airmail and express freight; no passengers were aboard.
The aircraft developed an oil leak shortly after taking off from Pago Pago harbor, and the crew decided to return to port. However, the S-42, fully loaded with fuel, was too heavy to land safely in the limited space of the harbor, so the crew elected to dump fuel before landing. While fuel dumping was in progress, there was a fire and explosion which destroyed the aircraft, killing all aboard. The exact cause of ignition for the fire could not be determined.