Zone

Crash of a Fokker F10A on Mt Shay: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1930
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC279E
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kingman – Glendale
MSN:
1011
YOM:
1928
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed Kingman on a ferry flight to Glendale after dropping off their passengers. En route to Grand Central Airport, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was poor due to heavy snow falls. The aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Shay located about 30 km northeast of San Bernardino. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated and the wreckage was found six days later by Dudley Steele, flying a Richfield Oil Company aircraft with Mrs. Juanita E. Burns as observer. The wreckage was spotted about eight miles from Lake Arrowhead. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
Crew:
James E. 'Jimmy' Dole, pilot,
A. W. Bieber, copilot,
John W. Slaton, steward.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.