title

Interesting

• It crashed in a cemetery, at night, killing all 13 people aboard.

Articles and references

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Helicopter_Airways_Flight_698
• https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/33644
  • https://www.google.com/books/edition/Aircraft_Accident_Report/2_k5AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22forest+park%22+crash+OR+accident+1960+helicopter&pg=RA8-PA1&printsec=frontcover
  • "The wreckage covered an area extending 2,800 feet in the direction of 315 degrees and 1,120 feet wide. The cabin, powerplant, landing gear, main rotor mast, three complete main rotor blades, and about one-third of the fourth blade covered an area approximately 50 feet in diameter."
• ICAO AAD (Aircraft Accident Digest) #12, 1962, p 221
• https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-13-die-in-chicago-copter/177420057/

Who, what, where, when, why

Who:

• 13 deceased. This included 11 passengers, and the crew being pilots Robert Meyer and John Walker.

What:

• aircraft model — Sikorsky S-58C
• aircraft registration — N879
• flight # — 698
• From 1960 to 1968, it was the worst civilian helicopter accident in the U.S.

Where:

• Forest Park, IL

When:

• July 27, 1960, 22:38
• It left Midway 11:30pm EDT.

Why:

• One of the four blades snapped.

Digital archive

Photos: [1] [2] [3]

https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/image/374708879/

"The copter crashed a block and a half north of Roosevelt Road and half a block east of 1st avenue." (so this must be the back half, west of the river)