Zone
California

Crash of a Mitsubishi MU-2B-26A Marquise in Blythe

Date & Time: Mar 11, 2005 at 1720 LT
Type of aircraft:
Mitsubishi MU-2 Marquise
Operator:
Jaax Flying Service
Registration:
N333WF
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Banning – Blythe
MSN:
387
YOM:
1978
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3900
Captain / Total hours on type:
942.00
Circumstances:
The pilot failed to lower the landing gear prior to touching down on the runway. The pilot said that during the approach into the airport, the flaps would not lock into the 20-degree extended position. The pilot decided to execute a no-flap landing and referred to the emergency checklist. The checklist advised the pilot to extend the landing gear; however, the pilot skimmed over the information thinking that the gear was already down and locked, and focused on the stabilized approach into the airport. The airplane touched down with the gear in the retracted position. No mechanical malfunctions were noted with the landing gear system on the airplane and a ground test run of the flaps did not reproduce the failure encountered during flight.
Probable cause:
The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear prior to landing. A factor to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention due to the flap system anomaly.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-45-DL Invader in Blythe: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Registration:
44-34101
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
27380
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
In flight, the twin engine aircraft collided with a USAF North American P-51D Mustang registered 45-11680. A crew member was able to bail out before the Invader crashed in a field, killing all three other crew members. The fate of the P-51's crew remains unknown.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24E-10-FO Liberator near Indio: 10 killed

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1943 at 2206 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
42-7122
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Blythe – Muroc
MSN:
146
YOM:
1941
Location:
Indio
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
A few minutes before 2200LT, the aircraft left Blythe Airfield and set an altitude for 15,000 feet and a heading towards Muroc for a night training bombing mission. No radio contact was made with the crew of the Liberator after take-off. At 2206LT, approximately 50 miles west of Blythe and north of Indio, the B-24 crashed and burned on a mountainside. All ten crew members were killed and the aircraft was totally destroyed.
Crew (34th BG):
2nd Lt Harold Schonberg, pilot,
2nd Lt Gene Healy, copilot,
2nd Lt Arnold Johnston, navigator,
2nd Lt Harry Louis, bombardier,
Sgt Ernest Simard, flight engineer,
Sgt Arnold Wilensky, radio operator,
Sgt Melvin Steeley, flight engineer,
Sgt Ross Hill, radio operator,
Sgt Paul Trusley, air gunner,
Sgt John Sweeney, air gunner.
Source: http://www.aircraftarchaeology.com/indiob24.html
Probable cause:
Although an investigation revealed the loss of the horizontal and vertical stabilizers in flight, a lack of witnesses and no communication with the crew precluded investigators from determining the exact cause of the crash.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-50-BO Flying Fortress near Blythe: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1943 at 1925 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5450
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
3989
YOM:
1942
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane was observed flying at a very low altitude about five miles south of Blythe, California. The airplane was observed flying in a southwesterly direction at about 200-300 feet above the ground with its n°4 engine on fire. The airplane made a left turn heading back toward the northeast. Shortly after making this turn, the airplane turned back toward the northeast. Shortly after making this turn the airplane crashed and burned. The pilot made no contact with any ground radio station indicating that he was in trouble. All seven crew occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O Donald R. Krumm, pilot.
2nd Lt Joseph L. Blunck, copilot,
S/Sgt Donald W. Lahman, flight engineer,
Pvt Oren Monceaux, radio operator,
S/Sgt Oleus J. Bobichaux, assistant radio operator.
Passengers:
2nd Lt Benjamin W. Jump, pilot,
2nd Lt Joseph P. Barron, pilot.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the board that the accident was due to the fire in the n°4 engine, probable loss of the n°4 engine and possible loss of the n°3 engine, and the inexperience of the pilot.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-60-BO Flying Fortress on Mt Elden: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943 at 0145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-29586
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Blythe - Blythe
MSN:
4700
YOM:
1942
Location:
Mt Elden
Arizona
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Blythe at 1920LT on March 4 on a routine instrument training flight. En route, the crew encountered poor weather with snow, freezing rain, low clouds and icing conditions. In such conditions, the pilot became lost, and without navigator on board, was unable to determine his correct position. While cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the airplane impacted the east slope of Mt Elden located 7,5 km northeast of Flagstaff. It disintegrated on impact and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Keitt O. Martin Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Ralph E. Majors, copilot,
2nd Lt Frederick C. Ruhl, copilot,
T/Sgt Walter H. Ehlers, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Robert E. Sanford, radio operator.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Ground accident of a Boeing B-17F-27-BO Flying Fortress in Blythe

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24630
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
3315
YOM:
1942
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground collision with another USAAF B-17 registered 42-5100. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Douglas C-53-DO Skytrooper in Blythe: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-47379
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lubbock – Blythe – George AFB
MSN:
7321
YOM:
1942
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed South Plains Army Airfield in Lubbock on a flight to George AFB, Victorville, with an intermediate stop in Blythe. The purpose of the flight was to ferry a CG-64A glider to California. Shortly after a night takeoff from Blythe, in unknown circumstances, the airplane collided with the towed glider and crashed near the airport. All eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt John H. Alabaster,
S/Sgt Nathan J. Toretsky,
S/Sgt Leroy John Hopkins,
S/Sgt Gordon J. Jardina,
Sgt Edward H. Nance,
Pvt William C. Hart,
Pvt Donald Ralph Hinshaw,
Pvt James I. Smith.

Crash of a Lockheed B-34 Lexington in Blythe

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AJ219
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
4357
YOM:
1942
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff for unknown reasons. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc in Blythe: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL453
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Blythe - Blythe
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training exercise at Blythe Airport when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near the airfield. Both occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/Sgt Cecil R. LaFollet,
Cpl Robert P. Cady.

Crash of a Douglas A-20A Havoc in Blythe

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
40-84
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Blythe
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing and damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.
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