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The aircraft was descending rapidly and an attempt was made to ditch on a sual1 lake directly ahead. Several trees were struck in the attempt and the aircraft hit the water, wings level and in a tail-low attitude, on a heading of 25 degrees.
The aircraft came to rest on a 290-degree magnetic heading in 10 feet of water approximately 300 feet from the lake's western shore and 280 feet from its southern shore, with approximately 80 percent of the fuselage submerged. Fire consumed the upper fuselage down to the top window line between fuselage stations 129 to 621.
Sections and small pieces of the left and right vangs, including the ailerons, and pieces of the left and right stabilizers were found strewn along the approach path. All four separated propellers were in the shallow water near the lake's southern shore on and to the right of the approach path centerline.
Investigation of the aircraft, prior to moving the wreckage, revealed that the fuel tank selector valves were in the auxiliary tank positions. Examination of the fuel lines, fuel screens, fuel filters, and available fuel pumps revealed no restrictions in the fuel flow to the four engines or evidence of failure prior to impact. There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction, failure, or fire involving any part of the aircraft prior to impact and no evidence of crew incapacitation prior to impact.
A check of the aircraft records revealed that there were between 25 to 50 gallons of fuel In each of the four auxiliary fuel tanks when the crew accepted the aircraft. Only the main fuel tanks were filled during the refueling operation at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station and no additional fuel was added to the auxiliary fuel tanks. Investigation and analysis of fuel samples from the servicing units and storage tanks disclosed no contamination by foreign materials at the time of servicing the aircraft.
U. S. Overseas Airlines, Inc., had the following fleet.
7 C-54-B-DC aircraft (6-Fuel Tank System) 5 C-54-B-DO aircraft (8-Fuel Tank System) 1 c-54-4 aircraft (N 4000A) (8-Fuen Tank System) 2 DC -64 aircraft 2 DC-6B aircraft
All of these Douglas aircraft have somewhat similar fuel systems. Among the differences between the C-54-B and the B and G are the number of fuel tanks installed and the tank selector handle positions. The fuel selector positions for the 6-tank C-54'8 Are: REAR - OFF; FORWARD - MAIN TANKS. The fuel selector valve positions, for the C-54 8-tank systen are: REAR - OPP; CENTER - MAIN TANKS; FORWARD - AUXILIARY TANKS.
The checklist in the aircraft was of the rotative type and was found set at a point indicating that it had been rolled past the following items: PREFLIGHT; BITBRING AIRCRAFT; PRESTARTING; START ENGINES; and PRETAXI. The prestarting and pretakeoff checklist section relating to fuel tank selector settings are as follows:
PRESTART - MAIN TANKS (Type System) - ON PRETAKBOFP - MAIN TANKS (Note Type System) - ON
In addition, the following placards were found on the instrument panel above the fuel selectors:
