California

Operator:

Registration:

43-30676

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

March - Shafter

MSN:

13827

YOM:

1943

Location:

Lee Vining

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 11,500 feet in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located west of Lee Vining. The wreckage was found on September 23, 1945. All three occupants have been killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Cargill L. Beach,
1st Lt Raymond Moore,
S/Sgt Jack E. Moran.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 in San Carlos: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1945 at 2040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

17228

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

San Pedro - Alameda

MSN:

13379

YOM:

1944

Location:

San Carlos

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed San Pedro-Catalina NAS (Long Beach) on a flight to Alameda NAS in Oakland, carrying 20 passengers and a crew of three. The descent was initiated at night when the crew encountered limited visibility due to poor weather conditions. Following an unsuccessful landing, the crew followed a missed approach procedure when he got apparently lost. The airplane impacted the slope of a hill and crashed at an altitude of 630 feet about two miles west of San Carlos. All three crew members were killed as well as four passengers. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with heavy rain falls, clouds down to 500 feet and visibility less than three miles.
Crew:
Lt William Karlick, pilot,
Ens Clois Holmes Jr., copilot,
Robert A. Trout, flight engineer.
Passengers:
LCdr Robert H. Allen,
LCdr John Brahtz,
S1C Richard Johnston,
Victor Salazar Jr.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV on Mt Pinos: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KN345

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Biggs - Sacramento

MSN:

15913/32661

YOM:

1945

Location:

Lebec

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from Biggs AFB, El Paso, to Sacramento, California. While cruising by night in stormy weather, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the Mt Pinos located some 14 miles west of Lebec. All five occupants were killed. The wreckage was found by walkers on 13MAY1945 only.
Crew:
Peter Antrobus, pilot
Floyd E. George, copilot
Frank S. Holmes, navigator
Edward Watkins, radio operator
Passenger:
Max K. Nelson.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-6 off Oakland NAS: 24 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1945 at 0630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

50765

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

14848/26293

YOM:

1944

Location:

Oakland

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from runway 27, while in initial climb by night and in marginal weather conditions, the pilot made a turn to the right when the right wing tip hit the water surface. The aircraft crashed into the Bay of San Francisco and none of the 24 occupants survived. The cloud ceiling was down to 500 feet at the time of the accident with a good visibility under the cloud layer.

Probable cause:

The crew was unaware of his real position after takeoff due to the malfunction of a gyro. Because the aircraft was flying over the Bay of San Francisco and due to lack of visibility and the absence of ground visual references, the crew lost his bearings during initial climb.

Crash of a Curtiss R5C-1 Commando near Los Angeles: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

39504

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

MSN:

26498

YOM:

1943

Location:

Los Angeles

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances south of Los Angeles, killing all eight crew members. The s/n has not been confirmed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-277B near Burbank: 24 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1945 at 0410 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

NC25684

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

New York – Washington DC – Cincinnati – Memphis – Dallas – El Paso – Phoenix – Burbank

MSN:

2215

YOM:

1940

Flight number:

AA6001

Location:

Burbank

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6315

Captain / Total hours on type:

4660.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2113

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1792

Aircraft flight hours:

14888

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from El Paso, the crew started the approach to Burbank-Hollywood-Lockheed Air Terminal at night. Due to low visibility caused by poor weather conditions, the pilot was unable to localize the airport and decided to proceed to the alternate airfield, Palmdale. Few minutes later, as it was flying at a too low altitude, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the slope of a wooded hill located in the Verdigo mountains, some 4 miles northeast of the Burbank Airport. All 24 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The possibility of an accident became a potentiality when the company ground personnel failed to obtain and transmit important weather to the pilot. Failure to obtain and transmit this information to the pilot constitutes negligence on the part of the company. This, however, did not relieve the pilot of his responsibility to conduct a safe flight although it did place him in a disadvantageous position. Had no properly execution the "missed-approach" procedure it is unlikely that the accident would have occurred. The Board, therefore, determines that the probable cause of this accident was "the pilot's attempt to use the standard 'missed-approach' procedure after having followed another course up to a point there it was impossible to apply this procedure safely."

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-1-LO LodeStar in Mt Bear: 9 killed

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1944 at 1945 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

42-32197

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hondo – Fresno

MSN:

2287

Location:

Bakersfield

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a flight from Hondo AAF, the crew started the descent to Fresno by night when at the altitude of 4,300 feet, the twin engine aircraft hit the north slope of Mt Bear located some 18 miles southeast of Bakersfield. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew and passengers:
Clarence W. DeGroff,
1st Lt Hobert D. Simpson Jr.,
2nd Lt James F. Applewhite,
2nd Lt Jimmie E. Hoch,
2nd Lt Louis J. Hoekstra,
F/O Otto F. Illias,
F/O Michel D. Pavich,
Sgt Ira R. Ratliff,
Pfc Walter H. Denk.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-209 in Burbank: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1944 at 0258 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

NC17322

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

San Francisco – Burbank – New York

MSN:

1968

YOM:

1937

Flight number:

TW018

Location:

Burbank

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

5400

Captain / Total hours on type:

4315.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1084

Copilot / Total hours on type:

136

Aircraft flight hours:

22180

Circumstances:

The flight was cleared to Burbank Airport for a standard instrument approach. During the approach the plane descended under instrument conditions to such a low altitude as to clip the tree tops and strike a power line pole and then crash at a point approximately 6 1/2 miles short of the Burbank Airport. In a normal approach the plane would have flown over this point at an altitude of about 1650 feet above the ground. The specific reasons for the plane's descent below the minimums for instrument approach were not determinable, nor was it possible to tell whether the deviation was a voluntary one. Investigation did reveal, however, that a number of divisions were made from the company's standard Civil Aeronautics Administration approved procedures during this flight. Both pilots and six passengers were killed.
Crew:
John Pollard Snowden, pilot, †
Thomas Leo Bamberger, copilot, †
Donna Elizabeth Marr, hostess.

Probable cause:

On the basis of the evidence available the Board finds that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's deviation from the standard instrument approach procedure then he descended below the established safe minimum altitude. A contributing factor was the company's failure to enforce adherence to company procedures.

Final Report:

Crash of a Martin PBM-5 Mariner on Mt Tamalpais: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1944 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Martin PBM Mariner

Operator:

Registration:

45415

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Alameda - Honolulu

MSN:

45415

Location:

San Rafael

Country:

Region: