1961 President Airlines Douglas DC-6 crash

President Airlines was a supplemental air carrier (at the time, a charter/scheduled airline hybrid), that in 1960 bought the airline certificate of California Eastern Airways, a carrier that had mainly operated under contract for the US government.^[2] The airline went out of business shortly after this accident.^{[citation needed]}

The aircraft involved was a Douglas DC-6B registered as N90773. It first flew in 1953 and was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines. The aircraft's occupants on the accident flight consisted of 77 passengers and 6 crew members.^[3]

The aircraft was on a non-scheduled international passenger flight from Düsseldorf, Germany to Chicago with stopovers in Shannon and Gander, Newfoundland for refueling.^{[citation needed]} Shortly after takeoff from Shannon Airport's runway 24, the pilots were cleared for a right-hand turn, but they instead turned left and kept turning until the aircraft had reached a bank angle of about 90 degrees or more.^{[citation needed]} Unable to recover, the aircraft plummeted into the River Shannon 5,000 ft. from the end of the runway.^{[citation needed]} There were no survivors among the 83 passengers and crew.^{[citation needed]}

Subsequent investigations indicate that the crash probably resulted from a malfunctioning attitude indicator, a fault in the starboard ailerons, or both. Poor weather conditions and crew fatigue were also cited as possible contributing factors.^[3][4]

• Air India Flight 855 – another accident in which the attitude indicator failed, causing the pilot to bank too far to the left and lose control.
• Korean Air Flight 8509
• Copa Flight 201
• West Air Sweden Flight 294