Crash of a Ford 5 on Mt Taylor: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1929 at 1101 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC9649
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Albuquerque – Los Angeles
MSN:
5-AT-020
YOM:
1928
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
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.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Minneapolis: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC7416
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
5-AT-002
YOM:
1928
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport, while climbing, the airplane suffered an multiple engine failure. It stalled and crashed in a garden located in Mounds View Boulevard, bursting into flames. A passenger was killed while all other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Simultaneous failure of all three engines during initial climb, for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Ford 5 in San Diego: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1929 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC9636
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
San Diego - Phoenix
MSN:
5-AT-010
YOM:
1928
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Ten minutes after takeoff from San Diego Airport, while climbing to a height of 2,000 feet, the three engine aircraft collided with an USAAC's Boeing PW-9D registered 28-37. Both aircraft dove into the ground and were totally destroyed. All six people onboard both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot of the USAAC's aircraft was cruising in an unauthorized zone at the time of the accident, in violation of published navigation rules.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Dearborn: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC9674
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Dearborn - Dearborn
MSN:
5-AT-032
YOM:
1929
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew (two pilots and two engineers) were completing a local test flight at Dearborn-Ford Airport. Upon landing, a wing hit the ground and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. All four occupants were killed. This model has been built five days earlier.