The United States Fish and Wild Life, M/VOREGON, searched for 24hours on December14 and 15, 1959, dragging a 35foot wide net over the botton at a position centered around Lat. On January 6, 1960 (less than two months after Flight 967) Frank was on board a National Airlines flight which was blown up by dynamite over North Carolina, resulting in 34 deaths. But even then there would be no point in destroying the plane or himself. A FedEx plane was only about 150 feet off the ground when its pilots realized a Southwest jet was in the process of taking off on the same runway, and aborted its landing to avoid a potentially . Although sabotage was suspected, no definite cause of the crash was determined . Accordingly, communications between Coast Guard surface vessels and the National Airlines Convair were relayed by Coast Guard aircraft. Examination of the liferafts and lifevests indicated that they had not been used for their intended purposes or prepared for such use, and all damage had been accidental and random. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Many sonar contacts were obtained by both ships but all were evaluated as marine life. 50 years ago, in the early morning of January 6, 1960 on a flight bound from New York to Miami, National Flight 2511 crashed near Bolivia, North Carolina. It was founded in 1934 as a Florida-based airline. Everyone loved the read as the comments here suggest and so did I but does anyone have a theory they favor? The mafia? A rival airline company? The industry standard flight tracking platform for business aviation (BA) owners and operators. Turska? National Airlines Flight 967, a DC-7B on a flight from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. He had become financially successful in Texas as a naturopath, even becoming president of the Texas Naturopath Association in 1954. and then hurry away, accidentally forgetting your luggage. Who hatched the plot--Spears? Taylor apparently agreed to this, and boarded the flight that night with nothing more than a briefcase containing the dynamite. However, Taylor purchased life insurance in his own name at the airport before departure; when his ex-wife applied to collect, the substitution was discovered. ASSURANCE and the U.S.S. Fishermen in the Gulf who were questioned stated that they saw low-flying aircraft, but examination of their testimony indicated that they saw search aircraft shortly after the disaster and not the aircraft involved. GADSS-compliant global tracking and alerting for airlines and aircraft operators. For most of its existence the company was headquartered at Miami International Airport, Florida. There she discovered a receipt addressed to their son Junior. In fact, Turska had also been facing abortion charges in November 1959 (though Turskas charges were later dropped). Mrs Taylor recalled that Dr Spears had held an unnatural sway over her former husband. NATIONAL AIRLINES, INC., DOUGLAS DC-7B, N4891C Very interesting story, indeed. Back then, you could get on a plane, put something in the luggage rack, and then right before take off say "Excuse me, is this the plane to Dallas? The flight originated in Miami at 1022 PM the p Comprehensive flight tracking to enhance your FBO operations and increase sales. So, I think he spun a couple different stories to see if any if them fit enough to get in the least amount of trouble. As it turned out, William Turska was not a model citizen himself. National Airlines 19341980 "" 19701978 . 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. 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. "[citation needed]. The next morning (November 14), Taylor and Spears were together again--Taylors son Junior saw them drinking and laughing in Spearss hotel room, in a celebratory mood. This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Networks opinion as to the cause of the accident. This dialogue will close in 60 seconds or you can click the exit icon in the top right corner to go back to the flight map immediately. Unfortunately, these searches were not successful. Though he was legally dead, many had begun to doubt that Taylor was ever on that flight at all. He was sentenced to the maximum term of 5 years. As for the insurance policy taken out by Taylor, Spears said: Taylor was sort of a nut on insurance. This consisted of fragmented bits of upholstery, soundproofing material, cabin linings, scat cushions and backs, metallic parts of seats attached to and buoyed by these cushions and backs, overhead racks and other light items not essential to the structural integrity of the aircraft. It has been claimed that Dr Spears tried to access a vial of cyanide before his sentencing--but some have disputed this. The former Mrs Taylor was becoming increasingly frantic. He was charged with three felony accounts and was set to stand trial in Los Angeles on December 3, 1959. Investigation disclosed no significant weather condition in the form of fronts, squall lines, thunderstorms, turbulence or icing affecting the route of flight. Planes, especially larger passenger ones, were still fairly new back then-- they were still figuring out the kinks. A theory also emerged that Spears was connected to another unexplained air disaster just months later. He was arrested for assault and battery for his wife in 1971. Robert Vernon Spears, a nationally known naturopathic doctor from . I think it's because "my friend took my ticket last minute under my name, but when I heard the plane exploded, i decided to duck out and start a new life because not only am i a con man, I was in big trouble for illegal abortions too" doesn't make for a convincing story. 967 (NASA967) 01-Mar-2023 (KEFD . 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. While circling and observing, the National Convair called Coast Guard aircraft with continuous transmission, allowing the latter to home on the area. Our global headquarters is situated in Orlando FL, with several operational hubs across the globe in Buffalo NY, Chicago IL, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Dubai, Djibouti, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. It revealed that Al Taylor had bought a $37,500 life insurance policy-- in Tampa airport--at 12:16 am, just nine minutes before Flight 967 departed. Spears said: If the business did detonate during the flight, it had to be by accident [] Im still of the opinion that the plane--something else happened to it. The flight had been on its way from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. 2918.5'N, Long. This search was also unsuccessful. No seat belt abrasions were found. * Convair CV-440 St. Petersburg Times. - January 14, 1951, a DC-4 crashed on landing at Philadelphia Airport with 7 fatalities. Length approx. A mystery woman told a local Tampa newspaper that she had had a relationship with Taylor shortly before his disappearance, and did not believe he was dead. National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C, was a Douglas DC7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana on November 16, 1959. Mr Frank? The FBI had found Dr Spears through an ex-wife of Spearss associate Mr Turska. Spears." Great attention to detail. Nearby radar stations reported "the flight was very close to being on course and on schedule.'' That day the two men also reportedly met with a man they referred to in letters only as "the fellow". "We don't get newspapers out here, he told reporters. Science Earth Science Question 5 Should national parks be preserved? National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C,[1] was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 16, 1959. 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". 03 hrs 40 mins . When the aircraft was destroyed, authorities would assume that Spears had himself been a victim and his wife would be able to collect on his life insurance. Accident; Date: November 16, 1959: Summary: In-flight explosion (Bombing suspected, but not proven) Site: Gulf of Mexico Yet cracks soon appeared in this image too. Taylor's not going to let himself get talked into something as crazy as getting on a plane that's about to blow up. 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. - October 5, 1945, a Lockheed Lodestar crashed into a lake in Lakeland, Florida with two fatalities. Streaming flight data feed for enterprise integrations with real-time, historical and predictive flight data. These charts have been preserved for possible future use. . FBI National Academy. The car belonged to a man named Al Taylor, a longtime friend of Dr Spears, who had been the best man at his wedding. [2] There was no evidence of any connection between Spears and the accident. While circling in this general area, several bodies were sighted as well as one liferaft that had been broken out of its case but was not inflated and appeared to be about three-fourths submerged. He said he had persuaded Al Taylor to take the dynamite on the airplane by promising to pay him $10,000 to do it. As Mrs Spears described it, "He saw an opportunity to leave me and the babies with some financial security. Spears immediately said he had made the whole thing up after the reporter had pressured him to tell him something new. Upon his arrest in Arizona, the FBI charged him with transporting a stolen vehicle beyond state lines. Las Vegas, Nevada, United States333 followers 331 connections. ", Tampa International Airport, FL (TPA/KTPA), New Orleans International Airport, LA (MSY/KMSY), Accident investigation report completed and information captured, 57 km (35.6 mls) E off Pilottown, LA [Gulf of Mexico] (. The only noteworthy observation from the gate agent in Tampa was "a man in a brown or tan suit, carrying a newspaper but no luggage, hurrying toward the Flight 967 gate right at closing time". 2913'N, Long. 1. WOW! Frank was covered by $900,000 in life insurance policies at the time of his death, and had also been under investigation for corruption. Boeing 747-400BCF National Airlines N702CA Scale 1/400 XX4975. However, the Clearfield, Pennsylvania, Progress speculated in its Nov. 17, 1959, edition that the aircraft may have been brought down by a bomb: "Was there an explosion aboard the National Airlines DC-7B liner that crashed in the Gulf of Mexico Monday with 42 persons aboard? Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. A radar-observed descent was close to Lat. A hypothesis arose that Spears, who had befriended Taylor in prison, tricked Taylor into boarding the flight with a piece of luggage containing a bomb. This position is about 108miles east-southeast of New Orleans, about 30miles east of Pilottown, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, and very nearly on the planned course. 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. I cant believe I dont remember the name but the one where the guy hijacked the plane and parachuted out over Washington state? The Coast Guard favored the former explanation, while the Air Force favored the latter. No? One part of the investigation focused on the passengers. He reported a "smooth flight" and unlimited visibility, but said he could see a solid overcast of fog ahead. Perhaps most bizarrely of all--Dr Spears was an expert in hypnosis. The man was a con artist. 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. Save your money with discount and promotions and find the best deals on Trip.com! With more than 800 employees worldwide, the National Family offers rewarding opportunities for professional growth through our affiliate organizations National Air Cargo and National Airlines.We invite you to become a part of our award-winning team, and contribute to meaningful work in aviation, transportation, and global logistics. You can help us keep FlightAware free by allowing ads from FlightAware.com. Coast Guard vessels suggested searching an area some distance to the southwest of the position 2913'N, 8840'W. Veterans, volunteers sought for Honor Flight It costs a lot to charter a flight that will carry 75 veterans from the Golden Isles to Washington, D.C., for the annual Honor Flight. Spears had a long history of crime, having been arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases. The National crew consisted of Captain Frank Eugene Todd, Copilot Dick . The agent's attention was drawn elsewhere, however, and he never noticed if the man boarded the flight or not. Meanwhile she campaigned in the courts to have him declared legally dead (which would give her son access to the life insurance money). He also cites the testimony of Spearss wife, neighbors and friends who spoke of him as a lovely person and a gentleman and expressed utter disbelief that he would be capable of doing something so heinous as taking down a passenger aircraft. Who knows, Taylor might show up one day, alive and healthy. All times herein are Central Standard based on the 24-hour clock. Taylor would fly and Spears would drive. In 1954 before this case, England lost several planes to it within months of each other, thanks to metal fatigue causing the decompressions. Tampa Police Detective John C. Daniels was among those who did not buy the hypnosis theory: Taylor was in debt over his head. National Airlines Flight 967 took off from Tampa (TPA) at 23:32 for a flight to New Orleans (MSY) at FL140. News Stories American Airlines to start hiring pilots again Southwest To Recall Pilots And Flight . 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. If Dr Spears was somehow responsible for both incidents, that would make him responsible for the loss of 76 lives, making him one of the most prolific killers in American history. Register now (free) for customized features, flight alerts, and more! Mrs Spears replied that she had not. At 0044 the flight again contacted FAA Pensacola and advised that it would change over to company frequency and would report to the company when leaving 14,000feet and7,000 feet. (If any were available prior to my introduction to flying, though, I can't be sure.) 2910'N, and Long. Sometimes passengers even boarded the wrong planes by accident. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. A check by the company at this time showed that FAA, New Orleans Approach Control, and ARTC were also out of contact with Flight967. saw an unusual light in the sky [] in the general direction of where [the flight] was lost and at about the time it was lost [] the light was red or dark red, appearing suddenly, lasting a couple of seconds then producing a vertical white light which fell with a white trail [] the initial red flash was almost as big as the sun. Investigation failed to reveal any item of maintenance of either the aircraft or its powerplants which could be significantly related to the accident. Long read, but totally worth it! National Airlines merged with Pan Am in 1980. After he left, he phoned again three times, again asking for Junior. Mrs Spears said that when he came to see her, Spears was sad about Taylors death. Three days before the crash, (the day Spears had arrived in Tampa) Taylor and Spears were seen together enjoying a lavish meal in the Hillsboro Hotel. * Douglas DC-6B DL967 Flight Tracker - Track the real-time flight status of Delta Air Lines DL 967 live using the FlightStats Global Flight Tracker. Track American Airlines (AA) #967 flight from Austin-Bergstrom Intl to Dallas-Fort Worth Intl. Members of the party hunting in the shark-infested waters for bodies believe there was an explosion. At 0005 the flight reported to Tampa company radio as over Crab at 0002 and estimated NL1, also a customary reporting point, at 0031, at 14,000feet. We work hard to keep our advertising relevant and unobtrusive to create a great experience. 1 adult. After this case, planes continued to disintegrate in flight due to explosive decompression. This new story was made public in 1963. National Airlines Flight967, a DC-7B, N4891C, crashed in the Gulf of Mexico while en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on .mw-parser-output .nowrap,.mw-parser-output .nowrap a:before,.mw-parser-output .nowrap .selflink:before{white-space:nowrap}November 16, 1959, about 0055c.s.t. During this period an underwater television camera was lowered twice on the contact from the VIGOR but only marine life was observed. * Douglas DC-10-10/30, AviationExplorer.com - The Website For Aviation Enthusiasts, NATIONAL AIRLINES HISTORY FACTS AND PICTURES, Aviation Military and Police Phonetic Alphabet, NTSB Aviation Accidents From Last 10 Years, High Resolution Military Aviation Desktop Wallpapers. There were nine bodies, a portion of a tenth body, five liferafts, five lifevests, and a highly diversified quantity of buoyant debris entirely from within the cabin and baggage compartments directly below it. Alan C. Logan is among those who dismiss this second story as fiction. February 1, 1960 LINK. She received a court order to open his post office box. Turska claimed that once he found out about the plane crash fiasco, he immediately told Spears to leave, and then went straight to see his attorney. 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. The flight's next radio contact was with FAA Pensacola radio at 0031 requesting clearance to New Orleans and reestimating NL1 at 0035. Mrs Spears? AA967 Flight Tracker - Track the real-time flight status of American Airlines AA 967 live using the FlightStats Global Flight Tracker. National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C, was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 16, 1959. Frank E. Todd of Miami, the pilot, radioed his last message at 12:44a.m. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Alice was not to be dissuaded. The FBI's FOIA Library contains many files of public interest and historical value. Feb 2023 - Present2 months. Don't have an account? All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. There are a thousand ways of connecting the dots, and a thousand other explanations out there. The notion of intimidating the witness thus made no sense. There was no radio message of impending trouble. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the accident. He added that New Orleans had instrument meteorological conditions, and indicated that the crew had planned to use this method on the approach until the plane was below the low ceiling. The crew consisted of Captain William R. Broocke (age 54), employed by National Airlines since 1946, who had qualified to fly the DC-10 in 1972 and accumulated 21,853 flight hours in his career with 801 hours on the DC-10; First Officer Edward H. Saunders (33), employed by National Airlines since 1965, with 7,086 flight hours of which 445 hours were on the DC-10; and Flight . However, there was ample fuel to have proceeded to the flight's planned alternate or to Dallas, the next en route stop. What a tangled web. The evening started as any other at an airport terminal as 105 were set board their National Flight 601 from New York bound for Miami on a Boeing 707. National Airlines Flight 967, registration N4891C, was a Douglas DC-7B aircraft that disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico en route from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 16, 1959. 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 . Taylor? Otherwise, the loading of the aircraft was normal with the center of gravity located within prescribed limits and the gross weight some 11,000pounds under maximum permissible for takeoff. Track National Aeronautics and Space Administration #967 flight from Victoria Rgnl to Houston Ellington Flight status, tracking, and historical data for National Aeronautics and Space Administration 967 (NASA967) including scheduled, estimated, and actual departure and arrival times. I am quite sure that Taylor would not have exploded it.. The cause was suspected to have been an attempted case of Insurance fraud; . But this investigation led nowhere. A problem was discovered (broken window . All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. In this case, the plane likely suffered the same fate. Taylor's body was not among those recovered. The point of fade from the scope was normal and within correlation limits. As he was leaving the courthouse after his first hearing, he was observed to be whistling. The cultures of National and Pan Am also proved to be incompatible, making workforce integration difficult. The aircraft was airworthy at the time of departure and had an adequate amount of fuel. The ultimate flight tracking suite for small aircraft/general aviation (GA) owners and operators. National Airlines Flight 967. Over the course of their long friendship, Spears and Taylor had worked together on confidence schemes throughout the USA. Low stratus and fog in the area from Mobile to New Orleans and at the New Orleans terminal would have caused the destination to be below limits at the estimated time of arrival. National Airlines Flight 967 of November 15, 1959, was scheduled between Miami, Florida, and New Orleans, Louisiana, with a stop at Tampa, Florida. Spears disappeared after the accident but was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, with Taylor's car in January, 1960. The flight accepted the clearance and stated it would remain at 14,000feet a little longer. But where had he been? * Douglas DC-6 Citing reports that Spears may have gone to Yuma while hiding out in Arizona, Logan notes, At that time the long US-Mexico border to the west and south of Yuma was largely unpatrolled.. I told him it wouldn't work!". He had hypnotized his own wife for the births of their children. The aircraft being used this particular day was a Delta Air Lines DC-7B. Could it be that in spite of this vast, tangled web--this was just another plane crash? One passenger, William Taylor, had boarded the flight using a ticket issued to Robert Vernon Spears, a convicted criminal working at the time as a naturopath. This position was buoyed and two dives were made in depths of 210 feet. Investigators determined that the flight crew was competent and experienced. During this time, Spears had briefly visited his wife (on January 7)--so her answers in her first interview were a lie. Best write up Ive ever read. National Airlines Flight 967; The flight originated in Miami at 10:22 PM the previous evening, landed at Tampa at 11:00 PM, and departed for New Orleans at 11:22 PM. * Lockheed Super H Constellation He moved to California and took up hypnotism, his business was with a doctor performing abortions (which were then illegal in the U.S.). If there was, did it come before or after the crash? All 42 onboard were presumed killed in the accident.The flight originated in Miami at 10:22 PM the previous evening, landed at Tampa at 11:00 PM . - May 1, 1961, Antulio Ramirez Ortiz hijacks a National Airlines flight from Miami International Airport to Cuba. The weather conditions were good. The FBI then tracked him down through surveillance. Spear's activities in order to determine whether they might have had a bearing upon the accident. According to the hotel staff, Taylor was talking about boarding a flight to Dallas--the waitress specifically remembered making small talk about Dallas. Nothing unusual was observed and no other objects were observed in the vicinity of the flight which indicated to the station that any difficulty was being encountered". All floating debris and bodies were from one-half to two miles east and southeast of this oil slick. United Airlines Flight 718, a DC-7, collided over the Grand Canyon with TWA Flight 2, an L-1049 Super Constellation, . You received a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, and were honorably discharged after any amount of service, or. A massive search began. So why the stories from Spears? Clearly in shock, she turned to the reporter and said: "What can I say? Spears died in Baylor Medical Center, Dallas on May 2, 1969 of coronary thrombosis. According to Junior, Taylor was carrying over $600 in cash--a lot of money at the time, especially for a man in serious debt. https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=Aviation_Accident_Report:_National_Airlines_Flight_967&oldid=9238655. His testimony indicates that the light was red or dark red, appearing suddenly, lasting a "couple of seconds," and then producing a vertical, white light which fell with a white trail. Suddenly his strange behavior all made sense to her--her hapless ex-husband was a puppet, under Dr Spearss spell. Thanks for writing this all up. The aircraft was crossing an area of severe weather and possibly flew into a waterspout. 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. At the time of his disappearance, Al Taylor lived in Tampa and worked as a salesman for the Pioneer Tire Company. Investigation has disclosed certain details in regard to a last minute boarding of the aircraft at Tampa by a person using another person's ticket. 1021022013 429b747-428bcf 7 Post-mortem examinations of the nine bodies, all of which were identified by fingerprints, indicated that all had received traumatic injuries. Two military radar stations had the flight under surveillance. After not hearing from Taylor for a few days, and discovering he had not showed up for work, Alice became worried. None of these nine persons had been subjected to fire or smoke before death, as demonstrated by low carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood and tissue. Taylor apparently then he called his boss at the tire company and asked for the next day off work. She had never liked Spears. And who was he? Mrs Taylor? Nothing. Another friend of Taylor reportedly told police that he had seen Al Taylor on Christmas Eve, 1959, in a crowd of Christmas shoppers in Nashville, Tennessee. The flight was estimated to be at the Crab Intersection, a customary reporting point, at 0004. I loathed him, she said, and had always considered him a bad influence on Al. Divers established that the contact was a sunken ship. The inertia of the bodies was plainly downward and forward and the forces at impact were severe. In this interview, he told a completely different story about what had happened. This is evident by the lack of any unusual radio messages. Flight status, tracking, and historical data for American Airlines 967 (AA967/AAL967) including scheduled, estimated, and actual departure and arrival times. Rescuers went out in aircraft and boats, arriving before dawn and still combing the cold, rough seas as the sun came up. For weeks Dr Spears was mourned along with the rest of the victims. With this information, Mrs Taylor's lawyer called the Tampa police department and the newspapers. No severe weather was forecast, anticipated or reported at flight altitudes over the route. By all accounts, he was in financial difficulties, and had many debts. Cheapest ticket price on Dubai to Toronto Skycraft Air Transport flight air ticket at MakeMyTrip UAE.
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