Northwest Airlines Flight 421 [SEP] point in time
Northwest Airlines Flight 421
Northwest Airlines Flight 421 was a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Chicago, Illinois to Minneapolis, Minnesota that crashed on 29 August 1948. The Martin 2-0-2 aircraft, operated by Northwest Airlines, suffered structural failure in its left wing and crashed approximately northwest of Winona, Minnesota, about southeast of Minneapolis. A Civil Aeronautics Board investigation determined that the crash was caused by fatigue cracks in the wings of the aircraft, and recommended lower speeds and frequent inspections of all Martin 2-0-
2 aircraft. All 33 passengers and four crewmembers on board were killed. The crash was the first loss of a Martin 2-0-2, and remains the worst accident involving a Martin 2-0-2.
Flight.
Flight 421 was served by a Martin 2-0-2 aircraft was operated by Northwest Airlines. It was just under a year old, and had accumulated a total airtime of 1321 hours starting in 1947. The flight was piloted by Captain Robert L. Johnson, 30, who