Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 105

On Sunday, January 6, 1946, a Pennsylvania Central Airlines Douglas DC-3 (registration NC21786), flying as Flight 105 originating in New York City with stops in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Knoxville, Tennessee, crashed while attempting to make an instrument approach to Runway 18 at Birmingham Municipal Airport (now Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport) in Birmingham, Alabama. The plane crashed into Village Creek at the south end of runway 18–36. The captain, first officer, and a check airman who occupied the cockpit jump seat perished in the crash; several passengers were injured, none fatally. was cleared for a straight-in approach from the north by the Birmingham tower at 3:48 a.m.. At 3:51 a.m., Flight 105 notified the tower it was performing a normal arrival pattern landing rather than a straight-in approach. The last radio contact from the plane was received at 3:54 a.m. The plane came to rest nose-down with the passenger area suspended over the waters of the creek. Though the cockpit was crushed, the passenger cabin was largely undamaged and no fire resulted. Rescue personnel alerted by the tower immediately worked to evacuate passengers and rescue the three critically injured pilots in the cockpit. Most of the passengers were from various cities in central Alabama, with one passenger each from New Orleans, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi; Atlanta, Georgia; and Brentwood, Pennsylvania. ==Media==

An article, photograph of the wrecked airplane, and photograph of flight attendant Miss Betty Proctor appeared at the top of the front page of the Birmingham News the day after the crash. The photo depicts the DC-3 nose down in Village Creek with extensive damage to the right wing. ==Investigation==

One official from PCA and two from the Civil Aeronautics Board office in Atlanta responded to the site to investigate the accident the same day as the crash. The CAB held public hearings in Birmingham on January 15 and 16, 1946. ==CAB findings==

On June 17, 1946, the Civil Aeronautics Board found the probable cause to be "the action of the pilot in committing himself to a landing from an approach which was too high and too fast." The CAB held public hearings in Birmingham on January 15 and 16, 1946. Finding arrived at by the CAB focused on the poor weather that the flight experienced over a long duration, marginal weather conditions at the time of landing in Birmingham, and the possibility of mental and physical fatigue due to the late evening/early morning time of the flight, continued adverse weather, and long length of the flight. ==Victims==

The pilot, first officer, and a check airman who occupied the cockpit jump seat perished in the crash; several passengers were injured, none fatally. The first officer and check airman died the evening of the crash at Norwood Hospital in Birmingham; the captain shortly after. One passenger was paralyzed by his injuries. The flight attendant was hospitalized for shock and a possible chest injury but was widely praised for ensuring everyone was buckled just prior to landing and her efforts to administer first aid after the crash. ==Images==

Image:BirminghamItlApt-9mar1951.jpg | March 1951 view of airport with north-south Runway 18–36 in same configuration as at the time of the accident. Village Creek, into which the DC-3 crashed, runs west to east immediately south of Runway 18–36. Aircraft approached from the top of the photo (north) traveling south (bottom of photo). Image: 20100115_0379BHMRWY18-36.JPG | View of modern Runway 18-36 looking north from Parking Deck. Flight 105 approached Runway 18-36 from the north, overflying the present Runway 6-24 before touching down to the right of this photo. File:Birmingham International Airport (BHM) Runway 18-36 viewed from the parking deck.JPG | Location of crash of Flight 105 is along runway, perpendicular to the space between the two groups of hangars, slightly to the left of the white parking deck light pole in foreground. Runway 18-36 was extended south after the accident and Village Creek routed through tunnels. ==References==