BCPA Flight 304

BCPA Flight 304/44 was a scheduled flight operated by British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines from Sydney, Australia, to Vancouver, Canada, with scheduled stops at Fiji, Canton Island, Honolulu and San Francisco. On 29 October 1953, the flight was conducted by a Douglas DC-6 named Resolution and registered in Australia as VH-BPE. The propliner crashed during its initial approach towards San Francisco International Airport, killing all 19 people on board, including the American pianist William Kapell.

History of the flight

The aircraft was flying the Honolulu – San Francisco leg with a crew of 8, and 11 passengers (10 adults and 1 child). The estimated flying time was 9 hours and 25 minutes. Captain Bruce N. Dickson (aged 34) and his crew took over the plane in Honolulu as scheduled.

Dickson and his first officer, Frank A. Campbell (aged 28), each had several thousand hours of flight time in the DC-6. Both pilots had made more than 100 approaches into San Francisco Airport, many of which were instrument approaches. On 29 October the weather in the San Francisco area did not present adverse flight conditions, but visual reference with the ground was prevented by the overcast foggy conditions so an instrument approach was required.

As the flight neared the California coast, the crew contacted San Francisco Air Route Traffic Control (ARTC). At 8:07 am Pacific Standard Time, it was cleared to descend in accordance with Visual Flight Rules and to maintain at least 500 ft on top of clouds, which the crew acknowledged.

At 8:15 am, the flight reported that it was starting its descent, and at that time was given the San Francisco weather report. Just after 8:21 am, ARTC cleared the flight to the San Francisco instrument landing system (ILS) outer marker beacon via the Half Moon Bay fan marker direct to the San Francisco outer marker, with instructions to maintain at least 500 ft above all clouds and to contact San Francisco approach control after passing the Half Moon Bay fan marker.

At 8:39 am, the crew called San Francisco approach control and advised that it was over Half Moon Bay, 500 ft on top of clouds. Approximately three minutes later, the crew reported "southeast, turning inbound". At 8:45 am, a call to the flight was unanswered as were all subsequent calls.

Local resident George Bordi heard the plane fly overhead in thick fog, then moments later heard the tremendous "crump" sound of the plane impacting on nearby terrain.

William Kapell, a New York pianist who was returning from a concert tour in Australia, was among the eleven passengers and eight crewmembers who lost their lives. Kapell was the only US citizen on the plane. All the crew and 7 passengers were from Australia. Two passengers were from the United Kingdom, and one from Canada.