Pan Am Flight 160

File:Pan Am Flight 160 crash site map.jpg]]

On November 3, 1973, Pan Am flight 160 departed John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for the destination of Frankfurt with a stop in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The flight departed at 08:25 EST and was carrying {{cvt|15,360|lb}} of chemicals. The first sign of trouble occurred at 09:04 EST with smoke in the lower 41 electrical compartment and this was reported to control. They also mentioned that they were going to divert to Boston. The crew contacted air traffic control (ATC) and was granted a return to JFK. Then, a major setback occurred, which was that the cockpit became thick with smoke. This made them turn back around to Boston. To help get the plane under its maximum landing weight (MLW), the crew descended to {{convert|2000|ft}} to increase the fuel burn rate. The crew requested to land on Runway 33 Left and this was approved by ATC. About this time, the crew shut off all non-essential systems. Soon, the transponder became inoperative. Once they were on final approach, with the airplane properly configured with flaps, the yaw damper was disengaged as a fatal result of critical mistakes during the execution of procedures. Henceforth, this made control of the plane hard at low speeds. Witnesses saw smoke pouring out of the cockpit windows, and the aircraft stalled out and crashed in a near vertical position with nose facing down.{{Cite web|last=Ranter|first=Harro|title=ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 707-321C N458PA Boston-Logan International Airport, MA (BOS)|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19731103-1|access-date=2021-09-13|website=aviation-safety.net}}{{cite web |date=December 2, 1974 |title=Aircraft Accident Report - Pan American World Airways, Inc., Boeing 707-321C, N458PA, Boston, Massachusetts, November 3, 1973 |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR7416.pdf |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board |id=NTSB-AAR-74-16}}Providence Journal, "Perilous Chemicals Fished From Boston Harbor", November 5, 1973{{cite web|title=Crash of a Boeing 707-321C in Boston: 3 Killed|url=https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-boeing-707-321c-boston-3-killed|access-date=22 July 2019}}

The accident was caused by several factors, including the continued generation of smoke in the cockpit. This amount of smoke led to an uncontrollable emergency situation in which the yaw damper was disabled by turning off the essential bus. This smoke in the cockpit also affected the crew's ability to perform tasks. The source of smoke could not be identified, but most likely the result of a nitric acid leak and improper packing of hazardous material, with a reaction between nitric acid and sawdust producing smoke. The noncompliance of several laws regarding the transport of hazmat goods from all of the complexity, the industry lacking the knowledge of laws, overlapping jurisdictions, and lack of surveillance by the government.{{Cite web|title=Case Study: Pan Am 160|url=https://code7700.com/case_study_pan_am_160.htm|access-date=2021-09-18|website=code7700.com}}{{Cite web|title=Pan Am Flight 160 Crash {{!}} New England Aviation History|url=https://www.newenglandaviationhistory.com/tag/pan-am-flight-160-crash/|access-date=2021-09-18|website=www.newenglandaviationhistory.com}}

Pan Am was indicted on a charge of criminal negligence and pled no contest to the charge in 1976.{{Cite news|last=Seigel|first=Max H.|date=1976-03-05|title=Pan Am Indicted In Boston Crash|language=en-US|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/03/05/archives/pan-am-indicted-in-boston-crash-pleads-no-contest-to-first-such.html|access-date=2021-09-18|issn=0362-4331}} The company that owned the chemicals and other companies involved in the shipment were also charged. This was the first time an airline had been charged with criminal negligence related to a plane crash.

• Swissair Flight 111
• UPS Airlines Flight 6
• Saudia Flight 163

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{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1973}}

{{Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in the 1970s}}

Category:Pan Am accidents and incidents

Category:Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 707

Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1973