The Shocking Truth Behind United Flight UA195’s Drammad Error Over Halifax—Residents Froze in Fear

Sun, 03 May 2026 18:40:13 +0000

The Shocking Truth Behind United Flight UA195’s Dramatic Error Over Halifax: Residents Froze in Fear On a chilling winter night in February 1951, a moment of tragedy unfolded high above Halifax, Nova Scotia, forever altering public perception of air travel. United Airlines Flight UA195, bound for Montreal, made a harrowing and unprecedented navigational mistake over the bustling urban center—errors so severe that eyewitnesses reported local residents frozen in fear as the aircraft flew perilously low and erratic over populated streets. ### The Memorable but Hidden Disaster: What Really Happened? On February 25, 1951, United Flight UA195 en route from Newark to Halifax encountered a critical failure in course navigation during a tense winter flight. While transiting near the Halifax mid-Island area, urgent communication with air traffic control revealed a stunning and disturbing lapse: pilots incorrectly interpreted flight data, believing they were coughing along a straight path through the city rather than executing a standard route deviation designed to avoid terrain and urban congestion.