The Boeing Plane that Transformed First-Class Travel Crashed into Puget Sound

The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser emerged after World War II and was modeled after a B-29 Superfortress bomber. It had a double-bubble fuselage with two passenger decks and became the model for aviation luxury and comfort designs for the future, offering passenger recliner seating and sleeping bunks.

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Although it was only in service from 1947 through 1970, the 377 Stratocruiser was plagued with mechanical issues and recorded 13 crashes and 139 fatalities.

This Boeing Plane Crashed—But Changed Air Travel Forever

It was 69 years ago this week on April 2, 1956, when Northwest Airlines Flight 2 took off from Seattle International Airport headed to Portland, Oregon. After only a few minutes in the air, the pilots began to experience a loss of control due to severe buffeting.

At first, the plan was to return to the airport, but they quickly determined that wouldn’t be possible and made the smart decision to ditch the airplane in the shallow waters just off Maury Island (near Vashon Island).

The Boeing Plane You’ve Never Heard Of That Transformed First-Class Travel

Amazingly, all passengers survived the violent crash, and the fuselage remained intact. Even though rescuers arrived quickly, not all passengers were retrieved from the cold waters before hypothermia set in, and four people died.

Authorities investigating the accident determined the cause of the crash was a flight crew error. The flight engineer had the cowl flaps improperly set on all four engines.