Zone

Crash of a Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker on Mt Lassen: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56-3655
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Castle - Castle
MSN:
17404
YOM:
1958
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Aircraft flight hours:
6089
Circumstances:
The crew departed Castle AFB on a training mission. After completing a simulated emergency descent from FL390 to FL230, the pilot-in-command initiated a sharp turn when control was lost. The airplane crashed on Mt Lassen and was totally destroyed. All nine crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control was the consequence of the physical loss of the stabilizer which detached during the sharp turn, maybe due to overload.

Crash of a Douglas VC-47A on Mt Lassen: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1951
Operator:
Registration:
43-48142
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
13958/25403
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While on a flight from Spokane-Fairchild Airbase, the airplane flew into the east slope of Mt Lassen, about 47 miles southeast of Redding, California. All eight crew members were killed.