Date & Time: Sep 3, 1929 at 1101 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ford 5
Operator:
Registration:
NC9649
Flight Phase:
Flight
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Albuquerque – Los Angeles
MSN:
5-AT-020
YOM:
1928
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
5
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Few minutes after his departure from Albuquerque Airport, while cruising bound to the west, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity, turbulences and lightnings. While cruising between Albuquerque and Gallup, the aircraft named 'City of San Francisco' went out of control and crashed on Mt Taylor (11,305 feet high), some 45 miles west of Albuquerque. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
J. B. Stowe, Chief pilot by TAT,
E. A. Dietel, copilot,
C. F. Canfield, courier.
Passengers:
Mrs. Corina Raymond,
A. B. McGaffey,
William Henry Beers,
Harris Livermore,
M. M. Campbell.
Probable cause:
The Tri-Motor was believed to have encountered an area of thunderstorm activity that was localized and had not been indicated in weather reports before it slammed into the mountain, which rises to above 11,000 feet.