Eastern Air Lines Flight 537

November 1, 1949, Eastern Air Lines Flight 537, registration N88727, a Douglas DC-4 en route from Boston, Massachusetts was on short final for Washington National Airport, half a mile from the threshold of runway 3 at an altitude of 300 feet when it was struck by a Lockheed P-38 Lightning NX-26927 being test-flown for acceptance by the government of Bolivia flown by Erick Rios Bridoux of the Bolivian Air Force.

The DC-4 was cut in half by the left propeller of the P-38 just forward of the wing’s trailing edge. The aft portion of the DC-4 fell to the ground on the west bank of the Potomac River.

The tower controllers on duty that day at National testified that the P-38 had taken off on Runway 3, turned left north of the Pentagon, circled over Arlington, and then returned, requesting permission to land due to engine trouble. The controller cleared the aircraft to join the left traffic pattern but had not cleared it for landing.

The P-38 entered a long straight-in approach as Flight 537 was turning into short final. The controller seeing the conflict, called Flight 537, ordering an immediate left turn. As the DC-4 started to break off its approach, it was overtaken by the faster P-38 at a half mile southwest of the threshold of Runway 3.

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