Braniff International Airways Flight 352
Braniff International Airways Flight 352 was a scheduled domestic flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, United States, to Dallas Love Field in Dallas; on May 3, 1968, a Lockheed L-188A Electra flying on the route, registration N9707C, broke up in midair and crashed near Dawson, Texas, after flying into a severe thunderstorm. It was carrying five crew and 80 passengers; there were no survivors. Among those killed was Texas state representative Joseph Lockridge, the first black man to represent Dallas County in the Texas Legislature. Investigation revealed that the accident was caused by the captain's decision to penetrate an area of heavy weather followed by a structural over-stress and failure of the airframe while attempting recovery from loss of control during a steep 180-degree turn executed in an attempt to escape the weather.
N9707C, the Lockheed L-188 Electra involved in the accident | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 3, 1968 |
| Summary | Flight into thunderstorm leading to in-flight breakup |
| Site | Navarro County, near Dawson, Texas 31°53′55″N 96°41′50″W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-188A Electra |
| Operator | Braniff International Airways |
| Registration | N9707C |
| Flight origin | William P. Hobby Airport, Houston, Texas |
| Destination | Dallas Love Field, Dallas, Texas |
| Occupants | 85 |
| Passengers | 80 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 85 |
| Survivors | 0 |