[4], Spears died in Dallas, Texas on May 2, 1969, of coronary thrombosis. Clearly, Dr Spears had not been on that plane. Yeah, it's kinda sad (and annoying) that such a good read isn't inspiring much in the way of discussion hardly at all. Could it be that in spite of this vast, tangled web--this was just another plane crash? I cant believe I dont remember the name but the one where the guy hijacked the plane and parachuted out over Washington state? She was an unflappable woman in her late fifties, with a fondness for ostentatious feathered hats, pearl necklaces, and large brooches. Spears." None of this disclosed conclusive evidence as to the genesis of the accident. For 3-1/2 to 4minutes the flight continued on a normal track of approximately 296 degrees magnetic. However, the search party aboard the National Convair had decided that the last known radar position (2913'N, 8840'W) should be searched first. Some of the bodies showed distinct evidence of burning on portions exposed above their waterlines. Charts used during the several searches, with search areas well delineated, were coordinated within the various agencies to preclude duplicative and omissive effort. These charts have been preserved for possible future use. Or was it all a freak accident? It's quick and easy to. Robert Vernon Spears, of Dallas, Texas, was listed as a passenger on Flight967. The aircraft was a DC-7, N4891C, owned by Delta Air Lines and operated by National under an equipment interchange agreement. Track National Aeronautics and Space Administration #967 flight from Houston Ellington to Victoria Rgnl. Alan C. Logan is among those who dismiss this second story as fiction. It may be possible that the stop was in Dallas during the time of the crash. This is the last known radio contact with Flight967. According to Alan C. Logans book, Taylor had also met with Frank in New York (though Logan does not explain why). 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. At 00:55 the aircraft suddenly crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. The pilot planned to conduct solo aerobatic flight manoeuvres in the A few moments before the departure of Flight967 from Tampa, Taylor purchased a flight insurance policy in the amount of $37,500 from a coin-operated machine at Tampa International Airport making his son the beneficiary and showing his destination as Dallas, Texas. 2913'N. At this time the flight also contacted New Orleans company radio confirming the ATC clearance and reporting the weather to be CAVU with low solid (undercast) to the WNW. * Convair CV-440 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. 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. 8840'W. Nothing. The aircraft was a DC-7, N 4891C, owned by Delta Air Lines and operated by National under an equipment interchange agreement. Flight data API with on-demand flight status and flight tracking data. Two military radar stations had the flight under surveillance. Without the planes black box, it is impossible to rule this out. The ultimate flight tracking suite for small aircraft/general aviation (GA) owners and operators. At its height, National Airlines had a network of "Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast" flights, linking Florida and the Gulf Coast with cities along the East Coast and large . Incredible write-up! Spear's activities in order to determine whether they might have had a bearing upon the accident. It's possible it was not a direct flight, and the next leg would have been from NO to Dallas. None of these nine persons had been subjected to fire or smoke before death, as demonstrated by low carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood and tissue. DL967 Flight Tracker - Track the real-time flight status of Delta Air Lines DL 967 live using the FlightStats Global Flight Tracker. It was also convenient for National Airlines. Initially, there was some speculation based on the fact that a noted Chicago mobster--Ellis Itchy Mandel--was on the flight. The aircraft was a DC-7, N 4891C, owned by Delta Air Lines and operated by National under an equipment interchange agreement. This all changed two months after the crash, on January 20, 1960, when Robert Vernon Spears was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, in possession of a stolen car--a salmon-pink Plymouth. The Board, with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has thoroughly investigated Mr. It appeared that the oil was rising from the northernmost point of this oil slick. But this investigation led nowhere. National Airlines Flight 967; A Delta Airlines DC-7, similar to the accident aircraft. The aircraft was airworthy at the time of departure, the crew was competent, weather conditions were good, and when disaster struck, the flight was very close to being both on course and on schedule. Probably one of the most intriguing cases Ive read here, what a great write up OP! A considerable amount of the floating debris also exhibited signs of burning but only above waterlines. What a tangled web. Although sabotage was suspected, no definite cause of the crash was determined . Tampa Police Detective John C. Daniels was among those who did not buy the hypnosis theory: Taylor was in debt over his head. DC-7 [] Template . And just a freak coincidence that a couple of conmen just happened to have a ticket? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The point of fade from the scope was normal and within correlation limits. Absolutely fascinating mystery. During this period an underwater television camera was lowered twice on the contact from the VIGOR but only marine life was observed. He had actually been hiding out with an old associate named William Turska (also a naturopath), in Turskas remote bungalow in the desert 40 miles from Phoenix, Arizona. VIGOR searched, using Navy sonar. 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. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. She had never liked Spears. Interchange flights like this were fairly common before the CAB awarded more direct routes beginning with the Southeast to West Coast case in 1961. She later said she had a premonition that her husband had been on that flight, and she never wavered from it. Goodness, I'm on the wrong plane!" Texas International walked away from their foiled attempt with a multi-million dollar stock profit and was poised for Lorenzo's next venturesa startup airline in the high-density East coast corridor (New York Air), and subsequent acquisition of Continental Airlines. Taylor had also been married before his marriage to Alice. [] Then you also have to think about the fact that Al Taylor was his friend since 1928. If it had been, I doubt there would be much mystery as to what happened. The Coast Guard favored the former explanation, while the Air Force favored the latter. His story is absurd, the prosecutor said. Everyone loved the read as the comments here suggest and so did I but does anyone have a theory they favor? The 9 they found were likely ejected from the plane through a large opening during the deconpression, while the rest were blown to bits. I can understand him taking out an insurance policy. This material totaled possibly less than one percent of all such material within the fuselage. WOW! He planned to intimidate the witness in that case somehow with a bomb (not to kill her but to intimidate her). The autopsies of the bodies, all of which were identified by fingerprints, indicated that all had received traumatic injuries: injuries indicated that all nine persons had been seated at the time the aircraft struck the water. Taylor apparently agreed to this, and boarded the flight that night with nothing more than a briefcase containing the dynamite. ASSURANCE and the U.S.S. The captain and the dispatcher discussed the flight and concurred in the release. 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. If there was, did it come before or after the crash? Search and rescue aircraft spotted scattered debris and a number of bodies in the vicinity of the last radar return, about 35 miles east of Pilottown, Louisiana; the remains of 10 individuals were eventually located. National Airlines Flight 967, a DC-7B on a flight from Tampa, Florida to New Orleans, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. It turned out he had a long criminal record--a string of confidence schemes, forgery, and thefts under a variety of aliases. 1. Just a few years before, Logan writes, on Valentine's Day 1953, a National Airlines flight on the very same run--from Tampa to New Orleans--also plunged into the Gulf. Investigators found less than 1% of its structural components and no conclusive evidence that a bomb was used. Cooper? The flight release Tampa-New Orleans was in accordance with the Civil Air Regulations and NAL procedures. Note the use of the word accident, which is used throughout the report. 03 hrs 40 mins . Fri, 26 May 23. I personally think the plane wasn't blown up with explosives or there was any foul play. No? In the investigation of the January 6 crash of a National Airlines DC-6B, agents are inquiring into indications that a lawyer, Mr. Julian Frank, might have blown up the plane killing himself and 33 . [] for all those decades and all the different things they got up to. News Stories American Airlines to start hiring pilots again Southwest To Recall Pilots And Flight . 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. We know he was at the airport that night, at 12:16 am. 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. Taylor? It was then observed to turn right approximately 70 degrees and disappear from the scope at 0051 at Lat. Headwinds of about 15 to 20knots at the filed flight altitude of 14,000feet were forecast. 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. Consultative detailed and customized flight tracking data reports. The Coastguardsman on duty saw an unusual light in the sky at an angle which he estimated as about 15 degrees above the horizontal and in the general direction of where N4891C was lost and at about the time it was lost. May 3, 1969 LINK, Con Man, Best Man, An Air Crash - A Far Out, Far Up Mystery". - November 16, 1959, a DC-7B flown on an interchange route with Delta Air Lines, in a Delta aircraft but with a NAL crew National Airlines Flight 967, en route from Tampa to New Orleans, disappeared over the Gulf of Mexico. [] The final ruling was probable severe turbulence.. The other plane crash remains unexplained despite the apparent presence of dynamite and that it happened over land where, presumably, most or all of the wreckage was recovered. James L. Sigman, executive officer of the Coast Guard station at New Orleans, said the plane might have exploded when it struck the water. Conditions of Employment: FAA Class 1 Medical required at time of Flight . Start your trial now! If the plane had any larger parts recoverable, they might have been able to tell if dynamite was the cause by examining residues or scorch marks. Taylor, investigators discovered, was wanted in Washington DC and Philadephlia under a variety of assumed names at the time of his disappearance. Suddenly his strange behavior all made sense to her--her hapless ex-husband was a puppet, under Dr Spearss spell. Nearly every comment is just a "great job, best ever", and nearly all of the questions posited have no answers or discussions below them. Link. Grapples were used and a variety of objects were recovered but none could be related to the aircraft. The FBI then tracked him down through surveillance. Air Route Traffic Control cleared Flight967 over the established route across the Gulf from Tampa to New Orleans at 14,000feet altitude. 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 . Associate Procurement Agent. She put it bluntly to the Dallas Morning News: "I believe that Spears hypnotized [Taylor] into doing it.". Clearly in shock, she turned to the reporter and said: "What can I say? AA967 Flight Tracker - Track the real-time flight status of American Airlines AA 967 live using the FlightStats Global Flight Tracker. [Some context here: In the 50s, life insurance vending machines were commonplace in airports. Science Earth Science Question 5 Should national parks be preserved? 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. All 42 on board were presumed killed in the incident. As has been detailed, 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. That was before Spears was found in Arizona with Taylors car. She later determined that Taylors brown jacket was missing from his apartment, though everything else seemed untouched, just as if he had stepped out to buy a newspaper. During this time, Spears had briefly visited his wife (on January 7)--so her answers in her first interview were a lie. The National crew consisted of Captain Frank Eugene Todd, Copilot Dick . At Tampa, some passengers deplaned and others boarded. The main wreckage has not been located despite several well planned searches. Taylor's not going to let himself get talked into something as crazy as getting on a plane that's about to blow up. With so many tantalizing details about Spears and Taylor, its easy to forget we know next to nothing about this plane crash. Frank E. Todd of Miami, the pilot, radioed his last message at 12:44a.m. The flight had been on its way from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. The two had met in the Missouri State Penitentiary, back when Taylor was still known as Albert O. Thompson. 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 Navy utilized several vessels equipped with advanced apparatus and manned with skilled specialists. Immediately they concentrated their efforts on this area, eventually retrieving: "nine bodies, a portion of a tenth body, five life rafts, five life vests, and a highly diversified quantity of buoyant debris.". The last radio contact with the flight was at 12:44 AM, when the flight contacted company radio in New Orleans. 8839'W. 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. 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 aircraft being used this particular day was a Delta Air Lines DC-7B. Flight status, tracking, and historical data for American Airlines 967 (AA967/AAL967) including scheduled, estimated, and actual departure and arrival times. 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. 967 (NASA967) 01-Mar-2023 (KEFD . He was charged with unlawful possession of an automobile but due to lack of evidence was never charged in the alleged bombing of Flight 967. The line between the airports does. One or two airlines only recently started offering direct flights to Tampa. The theory arose that Spears, desperate to avoid trial and wanting a fresh start, had tricked Taylor (perhaps through hypnosis)[1] into boarding the aircraft with a piece of luggage containing a bomb; when the aircraft crashed, it would be assumed that Spears was on board. He was sentenced to the maximum term of 5 years. Track National Aeronautics and Space Administration #967 flight from Chennault Intl to Houston Ellington Flugstatus, Tracking und Flugverlaufsdaten fr National Aeronautics and Space Administration 967 (NASA967) 02.03.2023 (KCWF-KEFD) mit geplanten, geschtzten und tatschlichen Start- und Landezeiten After not hearing from Taylor for a few days, and discovering he had not showed up for work, Alice became worried. Details of accident. A strong sharp contact, definitely bottom and metallic, was made at position 2911.6'N, 8838.2'W at a depth of 245feet. Revenue passenger traffic in millions of passenger-miles All times herein are Central Standard based on the 24-hour clock. Personally I suspect that Logan has at least partially fallen prey to the charms of Dr Spears--I highly doubt Taylor is living it up in South America--but his questions are interesting ones. Round-trip. Air Methods is the most responsive and reliable provider of critical care transportation solutions. 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. . He was subsequently apprehended by Federal authorities in Phoenix, Arizona, for having unlawful possession of Mr. Taylor's vehicle. CAB Accident Report, National Airlines Flight 967.pdf 1,091 1,4818 556 George T Baker 1940.jpg 600 49636 MM00013951 (8091335494) (2).jpg 1,259 1,371428 Questions also surround the third man involved in all this--William Turska, the naturopath who Spears went to stay with in the immediate aftermath of the crash. All 42 occupants perished. His wife would then cash in an insurance policy for $100,000 on Spears' life. Among the 42 names of the dead--there was a passenger named Dr Robert Vernon Spears--a distinguished naturopath from Dallas, Texas. Flight hour logbooks will be required at time of your Flight Assessment for verification. Spears had a long history of crime, having been arrested 17 times under 14 different aliases. Air Methods. By using and further navigating this website, you accept this. It was founded in 1934 as a Florida-based airline. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. The combination of the auto theft charge and his existing abortion charge eventually got him ten years in prison. 2913'N, Long. Seattle, Washington, United States. All 42occupants, 36passengers and 6crew members, were killed. The car belonged to a man named Al Taylor, a longtime friend of Dr Spears, who had been the best man at his wedding. Two dozen books on hypnosis had been found in Spears's home in Dallas. We have been unable to find any such relationship. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Economy. Join to view profile. Water temperatures in the vicinity of the crash were 70 degrees or more. He did not log the incident. 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. As Logan points out, in the first three weeks of 1960 alone there had been four major airline crashes. Comprehensive flight tracking to enhance your FBO operations and increase sales. This position was determined by VOR bearings taken from 14,000feet altitude. - 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. To me it just doesnt add up that Spears is going to tell his best friend of many decades, a man with essentially no history of violence, to take on this package like its Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.. Carefully the investigators went through the flight manifest. The flight had been on its way from Tampa, Florida, to New Orleans. None of these nine persons had been subjected to fire or smoke before death, as demonstrated by low carboxyhemoglobin levels in blood and tissue. Down the rabbit hole I go. Please note . He was not a licensed MD, and his license to practice naturopathy had been revoked in 1957. The weather conditions were good. Two more liferafts were soon seen in a similar condiiton. It has been claimed that Dr Spears tried to access a vial of cyanide before his sentencing--but some have disputed this. The radar observer testified that this disappearance was characteristic of a target going below the scope's limits. At the heart of the book is the crash of National Airlines Flight 967, which plunged into the Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 16, 1959. The unplanned water landing caught everyone . He reported a "smooth flight" and unlimited visibility, but said he could see a solid overcast of fog ahead. 2912.3'N, Long. At that time the control tower at Moisant reported a ceiling of 1,200 feet with three-fourths of a mile visibility, light fog and rain. 2004. 16cm . The National plane was then spiralled in a climbing turn to 7,000feet in order to obtain VOR bearings for this position. * Lockheed Super H Constellation - February 11, 1952, a DC-6 crashed near Newark Airport, killing 29 out of 63 people on board. National Airlines Flight 967; 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.. Yet cracks soon appeared in this image too. 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. I think the plane crashing was more or less a red herring in this case. Boeing. This matter will be detailed later in this report. The theory of a Svengalian puppet master was convenient not just for the former Mrs Taylor. United Airlines Flight 718, a DC-7, collided over the Grand Canyon with TWA Flight 2, an L-1049 Super Constellation, . Alice was not to be dissuaded. He was charged with three felony accounts and was set to stand trial in Los Angeles on December 3, 1959. He had "an uncanny ability to move on at a moment's notice". History of the flight On Sunday 4 April 2010 at about 0920 Eastern Standard Time1, the pilot arrived at Cambridge Aerodrome near Hobart, Tasmania in preparation for a flight in a Victa Airtourer 115 aircraft, registered VH-MTC (MTC). And that they happened to know a seedy lawyer who (allegedly) blew himself up a month later? All employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, military leave or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. He said he had persuaded Al Taylor to take the dynamite on the airplane by promising to pay him $10,000 to do it. 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. This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Networks opinion as to the cause of the accident. The Civil Aeronautics Board investigated the cause of the crash. Las Vegas, Nevada, United States333 followers 331 connections. There injuries indicated that all nine persons had been seated at the time the aircraft struck the water. Robert Vernon Spears (June 26, 1894 - May 2, 1969) was a naturopath who is alleged to have placed a bomb aboard National Airlines Flight 967, an aircraft that went missing over the Gulf of Mexico on November 16, 1959, killing 42 people.. History. NH967 (All Nippon Airways) - Live flight status, scheduled flights, flight arrival and departure times, flight tracks and playback, flight route and airport The world's most popular flight tracker.