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Arkansas History

One Of The Deadliest Accidents In U.S. History Happened Right Here In Arkansas

By Daniella DiRienzo | Published August 29, 2021

In 1936, a plane carrying 17 passengers fell from the sky and crashed into an Arkansas swamp. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, killing everyone on board. The recovery effort that followed only reiterated what was already obvious – the crash was one of the worst the state and nation had ever seen.

At about 7:30 p.m. on January 14, 1936, an American Airways flight crashed into a swamp near Goodwin.

At the time, it was the most disastrous airplane catastrophe. And for many years, it was the worst civil plane crash in the U.S., and the deadliest in Arkansas history.

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The plane, a Douglas DC-2 airliner, was travelling from Memphis to Little Rock. In total, there were 17 people on board – three crew members and 14 passengers.

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Upon impact, the plane broke apart and caught fire. According to reports, the damage was so extensive that it was clear to those aboard the search-and-rescue plane that all crew and passengers had been “seriously injured or killed.”

The day after the crash, a department of commerce official predicted its cause would remain a mystery and so far, it has.

There are a few theories behind the cause of the accident, though. The Bureau of Air Commerce stated that “flying at a low altitude” may have played a part in the crash.

A “passenger disturbance” is also cited as a possibility. This theory came about after a report indicated that the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit at the time of the crash.

Recovering the bodies from the swampy waters was no easy task. Surprisingly, remnants of all 17 bodies were recovered by the next day.

Check out some historic footage of the crash site in the video below.

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So, did you know about this deadly plane crash in Arkansas? Ever heard stories about it from older relatives? Feel free to share with us.

Sadly, this isn’t the only deadly accident in Arkansas’ past. Click here to read about the most horrifying disasters in state history.

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