On this date, 10 October, in 1933,
A lot of historical threads run through this incident in northern Indiana.
The Boeing Model 247 was considered the first modern airliner because of its “all-metal, semi-monocoque construction, cantilevered wing and retractable landing gear.” The first 60 were marked for United Airlines. TWA wanted some but Boeing, who owned United Airlines, would not build any for TWA until the order for their own airline was complete. TWA went to Douglas Aircraft and asked it to build a modern airliner. The DC-3 was the result.
Melvin Purvis was the lead investigator for the US government’s Bureau of Investigation. Boeing brought in their top lawyer, a guy named William Donovan.
Investigators determined a nitroglycerine-based bomb had detonated in a blanket storage locker over the lavatory, which was behind the passenger compartment and just ahead of the baggage compartment. It blew the tail off. There’s evidence the pilots tried to save the aircraft, but without a tail it was doomed.
No reason for, or perpetrator of, the bombing was ever found.
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A lot of historical threads run through this incident in northern Indiana.
The Boeing Model 247 was considered the first modern airliner because of its “all-metal, semi-monocoque construction, cantilevered wing and retractable landing gear.” The first 60 were marked for United Airlines. TWA wanted some but Boeing, who owned United Airlines, would not build any for TWA until the order for their own airline was complete. TWA went to Douglas Aircraft and asked it to build a modern airliner. The DC-3 was the result.
Melvin Purvis was the lead investigator for the US government’s Bureau of Investigation. Boeing brought in their top lawyer, a guy named William Donovan.
Investigators determined a nitroglycerine-based bomb had detonated in a blanket storage locker over the lavatory, which was behind the passenger compartment and just ahead of the baggage compartment. It blew the tail off. There’s evidence the pilots tried to save the aircraft, but without a tail it was doomed.
No reason for, or perpetrator of, the bombing was ever found.
What Happened to UAL Flight 23?
A Boeing 247 was on its way to Chicago when it crashed. It was the beginning of an enduring mystery.
www.historynet.com
United 23 took off from New Jersey 80 years ago; its midair explosion remains a mystery
This Boeing 247 took off from Newark airport in October of 1933. The Chicago-bound flight exploded over Indiana and, to this day, no one knows why.
