United Airlines Flight 823

United Airlines Flight 823

The crash aircraft at Chicago International Airport in 1963
Accident summary
Date	July 9, 1964
Summary	In-flight fire
Site	Cocke County, near Parrottsville, Tennessee, USA 36°1′36.51″N 83°3′41.19″W / 36.0268083°N 83.0614417°WCoordinates: 36°1′36.51″N 83°3′41.19″W / 36.0268083°N 83.0614417°W
Passengers	35
Crew	4
Fatalities	39 (all)
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	Vickers Viscount 745D
Operator	United Airlines
Registration	N7405

United Airlines Flight 823 was a scheduled flight from Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania to Huntsville International Airport, Alabama with 39 on board. On July 9, 1964 at approximately 18:15 EST, the aircraft, a Vickers Viscount, registration N7405,^[1] crashed 2 miles northeast of Parrottsville, Tennessee after experiencing an uncontrollable fire on board, killing all 39. The fire of unknown origin initiated below the passenger floor and eventually involved the passenger cabin. One passenger attempted to abandon the aircraft through the No.4 escape window prior to impact but did not survive the free-fall. The ignition source was never determined, but it is thought the plane's battery overheated or something in a passenger's luggage caused the fire. According to NTSB investigators, lethal amounts of CO₂ were present in the cockpit, explaining witnesses' reports of the aircraft seen flying erratically. The fire eventually burned through the cockpit and it is likely the crew was unconscious by that time.

United used the Flight 823 designation on its Washington-Dulles to Mexico City, Mexico route.

External links

• Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network

Further reading

• Serling, Robert J. Loud and Clear. New York, NY: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1970, pp 346-355.

1. "FAA Registry". Federal Aviation Administration.