Since the early 1920s, most commercial passenger and cargo aircraft carried mail for the postal service.
When an aircraft accident occurs, the damaged and undamaged mail is collected by postal inspectors at the site. The mail is than processed, and after being stamped or marked delayed it is forwarded to the addressee on the envelope. In most cases, after receiving the mail the envelope is tossed in the trash. In some cases they were kept and saved by collectors. The pieces of damaged air mail are known as "Crash Covers".
Crash Covers commemorate and symbolize, as no other covers do, that part of air mail history that Charles Lindbergh was pointing to--the side of risk, the side of sacrifice--when he wrote in his book, "The Spirit of St. Louis".
This gallery features not only the LostFlights Collection of crash covers, but also covers from other collectors.
When an aircraft accident occurs, the damaged and undamaged mail is collected by postal inspectors at the site. The mail is than processed, and after being stamped or marked delayed it is forwarded to the addressee on the envelope. In most cases, after receiving the mail the envelope is tossed in the trash. In some cases they were kept and saved by collectors. The pieces of damaged air mail are known as "Crash Covers".
Crash Covers commemorate and symbolize, as no other covers do, that part of air mail history that Charles Lindbergh was pointing to--the side of risk, the side of sacrifice--when he wrote in his book, "The Spirit of St. Louis".
This gallery features not only the LostFlights Collection of crash covers, but also covers from other collectors.
This Flight 3 cover was discovered at an estate sale by Vicky Nelson of Santa Clarita, California and was recently acquired by LostFlights.
Postmarked on the evening of January 15, 1942 in Indianapolis, this cover is the only remaining piece of recovered air mail in known existence that originated at Carole Lombard's boarding point. (LostFlights Collection)
Postmarked on the evening of January 15, 1942 in Indianapolis, this cover is the only remaining piece of recovered air mail in known existence that originated at Carole Lombard's boarding point. (LostFlights Collection)
The above crash cover included a partially burned letter and the postal service delivery envelope known unofficially as an "Ambulance Cover" (LostFlights Collection)
The U.S. Postal Service ink stamp on the back of the cover that denotes the mail was recovered from the TWA Flight 3 accident site. (LostFlights Collection)
October 24, 1947
United Air Lines Inc.
Douglas DC-6 (NC37510)
Bryce Canyon, Utah
United Air Lines Flight 608 a Douglas DC-6 (NC37510) was on a flight from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL when it crashed at 12:29 pm on October 24, 1947 about 1.5 miles southeast of Bryce Canyon Airport, Utah, killing all 5 crew members and 47 passengers. (LostFlights Collection)
United Air Lines Inc.
Douglas DC-6 (NC37510)
Bryce Canyon, Utah
United Air Lines Flight 608 a Douglas DC-6 (NC37510) was on a flight from Los Angeles, CA to Chicago, IL when it crashed at 12:29 pm on October 24, 1947 about 1.5 miles southeast of Bryce Canyon Airport, Utah, killing all 5 crew members and 47 passengers. (LostFlights Collection)
This cover from UAL Flight 608 also sustained fire damage, but was deliverable. (LostFlights Collection)
June 30, 1951
United Air Lines, Inc.
Douglas DC-6 (N37543)
Crystal Mountain near Fort Collins, Colorado
United Air Lines Flight 610, utilizing a Douglas DC-6 aircraft (N37543), and named "Mainliner Overland Trail," was on a transcontinental flight from San Francisco-Oakland-Salt Lake City-Denver-Chicago when it crashed near Fort Collins, Colorado on June 30, 1951. The plane was transporting 50 persons (45 passengers and 5 crew members), all of whom perished in the accident. (LostFlights Collection)
United Air Lines, Inc.
Douglas DC-6 (N37543)
Crystal Mountain near Fort Collins, Colorado
United Air Lines Flight 610, utilizing a Douglas DC-6 aircraft (N37543), and named "Mainliner Overland Trail," was on a transcontinental flight from San Francisco-Oakland-Salt Lake City-Denver-Chicago when it crashed near Fort Collins, Colorado on June 30, 1951. The plane was transporting 50 persons (45 passengers and 5 crew members), all of whom perished in the accident. (LostFlights Collection)
December 25, 1954
British Overseas Airline Corporation (BOAC)
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser (G-ALSA)
Prestwick, Scotland
The Stratocruiser was high on the approach to Prestwick. The aircraft entered a steep descent, but flare out came too late. Following a heavy landing, the plane ran onto the runway, became airborne and crashed.
As a result the aircraft impacted the ground short of the runway threshold. Pilot error was cited as the cause of the accident in which 28 of the 36 souls on board perished.
British Overseas Airline Corporation (BOAC)
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser (G-ALSA)
Prestwick, Scotland
The Stratocruiser was high on the approach to Prestwick. The aircraft entered a steep descent, but flare out came too late. Following a heavy landing, the plane ran onto the runway, became airborne and crashed.
As a result the aircraft impacted the ground short of the runway threshold. Pilot error was cited as the cause of the accident in which 28 of the 36 souls on board perished.
October 6, 1955
United Air Lines, Inc.
Douglas C-54-DC (N30062)
Medicine Bow Peak, Wyoming
United Air Lines Flight 409 was a scheduled flight departing from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah. The aircraft was a post-war converted Douglas C-54-DC / DC-4. The aircraft crashed into Medicine Bow Peak, near Centennial, Wyoming, killing all 66 people on board (63 passengers, 3 crew members) At the time, this was the worst crash in U.S. commercial aviation history.
The probable cause of the accident was the action of the pilot in deviating from the planned route for reasons unknown. This cover and the one below are in relatively decent condition considering the high impact forces involved in the accident. (LostFlights Collection)
United Air Lines, Inc.
Douglas C-54-DC (N30062)
Medicine Bow Peak, Wyoming
United Air Lines Flight 409 was a scheduled flight departing from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah. The aircraft was a post-war converted Douglas C-54-DC / DC-4. The aircraft crashed into Medicine Bow Peak, near Centennial, Wyoming, killing all 66 people on board (63 passengers, 3 crew members) At the time, this was the worst crash in U.S. commercial aviation history.
The probable cause of the accident was the action of the pilot in deviating from the planned route for reasons unknown. This cover and the one below are in relatively decent condition considering the high impact forces involved in the accident. (LostFlights Collection)
Another example of a crash cover from United Air Lines Flight 409 that crashed into Medicine Bow Peak in Wyoming. (LostFlights Collection)
December 17, 1955
Riddle Airlines, Inc.
Curtiss C-46A-45-CU (N9904F)
Hollywood, South Carolina
The Curtiss cargo plane crashed in a cornfield and caught fire. The probable cause was an in-flight structural failure resulting from a violent pitch-down induced by the erratic action of nonconforming elevator tab controls. The accident killed the crew of two.
The two covers shown have visible damage from the accident. (LostFlights Collection)
Riddle Airlines, Inc.
Curtiss C-46A-45-CU (N9904F)
Hollywood, South Carolina
The Curtiss cargo plane crashed in a cornfield and caught fire. The probable cause was an in-flight structural failure resulting from a violent pitch-down induced by the erratic action of nonconforming elevator tab controls. The accident killed the crew of two.
The two covers shown have visible damage from the accident. (LostFlights Collection)
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