Donald E. Burlingame Boeing 307 Stratoliner Crash Photographs
Collection — Folder: 1
Identifier: 2023-05-06
The Donald E. Burlingame Boeing 307 Stratoliner Crash Photographs is a small collection consisting of six photographs documenting the crash of a Boeing 307 Stratoliner near Alder, Washington on March 18, 1939.
The plane, which was a prototype under registration number NX19901, crashed during a demonstration flight. The Civil Aeronautics Authority, Air Safety Board eventually concluded that the accident had been caused by structural failure of the wings and horizontal stabilizers during the recovery from a steep dive. Ten people had been on board the flight, all of whom died in the accident.
The photographs in the collection were taken by Burlingame. Five of the images show the wreckage up-close; one image depicts it from a distance. Several poeple, all unidentified, are visible in the images inspecting and surveying the wrecked plane. The prints are all black-and-white, measuring 2.75x4.5 inches.
The plane, which was a prototype under registration number NX19901, crashed during a demonstration flight. The Civil Aeronautics Authority, Air Safety Board eventually concluded that the accident had been caused by structural failure of the wings and horizontal stabilizers during the recovery from a steep dive. Ten people had been on board the flight, all of whom died in the accident.
The photographs in the collection were taken by Burlingame. Five of the images show the wreckage up-close; one image depicts it from a distance. Several poeple, all unidentified, are visible in the images inspecting and surveying the wrecked plane. The prints are all black-and-white, measuring 2.75x4.5 inches.
Dates
- 1939 March
Creator
- Burlingame, Donald E., 1919-2007 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.
Conditions Governing Use
The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Extent
.01 Cubic Feet (1 letter size folder)
Biographical Note: Donald E. Burlingame
Donald Ellsworth Burlingame was involved in aviation for most of his life. He was born August 1, 1919 in Onalaska, Washington to Lloyd and Martha Burlingame. He bought a Taylorcraft two-seater in May 1941 and obtained his private and commercial ratings in 1942. He joined the U.S. Naval Air Force in December 1942. He served as a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Pasco in Franklin County, Washington and at Naval Air Station Memphis in Tennessee. He later became a Vought F4U Corsair pilot and flew off the USS Midway (CV-41).
After the end of World War II, Burlingame held a variety of jobs. He returned to flying in 1954 and around that time he was hired by Westair Transport, a cargo company, initially as a Curtiss C-46 co-pilot. He later flew as captain on an ATR across the Canadian and U.S. arctic during the DEW line construction. Eventually, Westair went bankrupt and was reestablished as SkyVan Airlines. Skyvan leased at least one C-46 to Kuwait Airways, complete with crews, of which Burlingame was a part.
In the spring of 1959 Burlingame was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an air carrier operations inspector and moved with his family to Ypsilanti, Michigan. In January 1962, he transferred to the Juneau, Alaska FAA flight standards district office. Then in 1965 he was promoted to a position in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1966 he was promoted again, returning to Juneau. In 1969 he transferred back to Anchorage and remained there until 1971 when he was selected as the FAA representative in Beirut, Lebanon with his territory of coverage being northern Africa and most of the Middle East. In 1975 his office was moved to Frankfurt, Germany because of the political situation in Beirut and then to Rome, Italy. Burlingame was transferred to an FAA office in Seattle, Washington in April 1977. He retired in 1980.
Burlingame was married to Grace Wallin. He died December 12, 2007 in Lacey, Washington.
Biographical sketch derived from donor information and records on Ancestry.com.
After the end of World War II, Burlingame held a variety of jobs. He returned to flying in 1954 and around that time he was hired by Westair Transport, a cargo company, initially as a Curtiss C-46 co-pilot. He later flew as captain on an ATR across the Canadian and U.S. arctic during the DEW line construction. Eventually, Westair went bankrupt and was reestablished as SkyVan Airlines. Skyvan leased at least one C-46 to Kuwait Airways, complete with crews, of which Burlingame was a part.
In the spring of 1959 Burlingame was hired by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an air carrier operations inspector and moved with his family to Ypsilanti, Michigan. In January 1962, he transferred to the Juneau, Alaska FAA flight standards district office. Then in 1965 he was promoted to a position in Anchorage, Alaska. In 1966 he was promoted again, returning to Juneau. In 1969 he transferred back to Anchorage and remained there until 1971 when he was selected as the FAA representative in Beirut, Lebanon with his territory of coverage being northern Africa and most of the Middle East. In 1975 his office was moved to Frankfurt, Germany because of the political situation in Beirut and then to Rome, Italy. Burlingame was transferred to an FAA office in Seattle, Washington in April 1977. He retired in 1980.
Burlingame was married to Grace Wallin. He died December 12, 2007 in Lacey, Washington.
Biographical sketch derived from donor information and records on Ancestry.com.
Creator
- Burlingame, Donald E., 1919-2007 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Donald E. Burlingame Boeing 307 Stratoliner Crash Photographs
- Status
- in_progress
- Author
- Nicole Davis
- Date
- 2023 September
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Edition statement
- 1st edition
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org