Date & Time:
Aug 14, 1942 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
JS173
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Moncton - Montreal
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Moncton on a ferry flight to Montreal with a crew of four on board. While cruising over Maine, weather conditions deteriorated. Two other similar airplane diverted to Millinocket, Maine, while the pilot of JS173 decided to continue to Montreal. Nevertheless, the visibility was poor and the pilot descended into instrument conditions when, at an altitude of 2,690 feet, the airplane impacted hilly terrain in the Saddleback Mountain. Three crew members were killed and the sole survivor walked away for few hours before finding help. According to the survivor, the altimeter read 4,000 feet.
Crew:
Sgt Edward H. Hollenbach, pilot, †
Lac Arthur C. Duffield, †
A2c Paul Paterson, †
A2c Earl Machan.
Crew:
Sgt Edward H. Hollenbach, pilot, †
Lac Arthur C. Duffield, †
A2c Paul Paterson, †
A2c Earl Machan.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain following the decision of the pilot to descend under instrument conditions in bad weather conditions. Pilot should have known that height of land on course ranged from 500 to 5,000 feet and should not have been flying at 4,000 feet in such weather conditions.
Final Report:
JS173.pdf133.98 KB
