American Airlines Flight 157, a Douglas DC-6, departed on November 29, 1949, from New York City bound for Mexico City with 46 passengers and crew. After one engine failed in mid-flight, a series of critical mistakes by the flight crew caused the pilot to lose control of the plane during the final approach to a routine stopover at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. The airliner slid off the runway and struck a parked airplane, a hangar, and a flight school before crashing into a business across from the airport. 26 passengers and two flight attendants died. The pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and 15 passengers survived. Flight history The American Airlines DC-6, carrying a registration number of N90728 and the name Flagship South Carolina, had taken off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City bound for Mexico City with intermediate stopovers at Washington National Airport and Dallas Love Field. After the stop in Washington D.C., the flight was carrying 41 passengers and 5 crew members: Captain Laurens "Tommy" Claude, First Officer Robert Lewis and Flight Engineer William S. Forbes. The flight was uneventful until the No. 1 engine, the outboard engine on the left wing, began backfiring and running roughly as the airplane neared Nashville, Tennessee. After reducing power and attempting corrective measures, the flight crew shut down the engine and feathered the propeller near Altheimer, Arkansas. Engine failures were considered fairly routine events on piston-engined airliners in the 1940s, so the crew elected to continue the flight to Dallas, and Captain Claude announced to the passengers that they would switch to another airplane upon arrival. Crash At 5:25 am, as they approached Dallas airspace, the crew of Flight 157 alerted air traffic control that they were flying on three engines. The flight was given permission to enter the traffic pattern at Love Field at 5:36 am. Weather in Dallas was clear, with visibility of , and no other air traffic was reported in the area. Captain Claude ordered the crew to lower the flaps and landing gear. At 5:45 am, the pilot made a right-hand turn to land on Runway 36, but the airplane came out of the turn slightly to the left of the runway. An "S"-turn was initiated to align the DC-6 with the runway centerline. The plane suddenly shook and its airspeed dropped precipitously. The left wing dropped and the plane began to turn to the left.