A Harmless Prank

A long-ago incident nearly takes down an American Airlines Douglas DC-4.

Peter Garrison

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 05:20 PM ET

Verified

[Credit: Public Domain]

Key Takeaways:

American Airlines Flight 311, a DC-4, experienced a severe pitch-down and inverted flight after Captain Sisto intentionally engaged the elevator gust lock, which was then released while the pilot had applied nose-down trim.
Despite the violent maneuver at low altitude, Captain Logan skillfully recovered the aircraft from an inverted position, and miraculously, no one on board sustained serious injuries.
Captain Sisto's commercial pilot certificate was revoked by the Civil Aeronautics Board for demonstrating a "disregard for the principles of air safety" and poor judgment.

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American Airlines Flight 311 departed New York on the evening of October 7, 1947, bound for Dallas and Los Angeles. Three pilots, all qualified captains, were aboard. The airplane was a Douglas DC-4 Skymaster, military designation C-54, the first of the series of four-radial-engine Douglas transports that ended with the DC-7. With a wingspan of 117 feet and room for as many as 80 passengers, it was a big airplane for its time. Unlike later models, however, it was not pressurized.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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