- £75.00
On October 24, the United Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York crashed when the pilot, Capt. E. L. McMillion, attempted an emergency landing. The plane exploded killing 52 passengers and crew. Salvaged mail, mostly very badly damaged, received a violet cachet ‘DAMAGED DUE TO AIR MAIL / INTERRUPTION NEAR RUBY’S INN / UTAH OCTOBER 24 1947’. This part envelope, along with the majority of other salvaged mail, was forwarded in an Official Post Office Department envelope from San Francisco on October 28th. This DC-6 that crashed at Bryce Canyon National Park ws caused by a fuel leakage into the cabin heaters causing a fire onboard. It was discovered that fuel could spill when it was being transferred from tank to tank while in flight. The vapour from the spill could then be set alight by the electrical coils of the cabin heating system. As a result the entire fleet of 80 aircraft were recalled. The wreckage was gathered and put on trucks and taken to Douglas, CA, where it was reassembled. This is the first time a plane had been reassembled for an accident enquiry. (Sanford Ref. 471024)
