Burbank

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

New York – Saint Louis – Albuquerque – Winslow – Las Vegas – Burbank – Los Angeles

MSN:

3295

YOM:

1941

Flight number:

TW003

Location:

Mt Potosi

Nevada

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

12024

Captain / Total hours on type:

3500.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1330

Copilot / Total hours on type:

650

Circumstances:

The airplane was en route from New York to Los Angeles with several intermediate stops, carrying 19 passengers and a crew of three. About fifteen minutes after take off from Las Vegas-McCarran Airport, while leveling off at night, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Potosi located 51 km southwest of Las Vegas. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 22 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 7,700 feet while the summit of the mountain is about 8,500 feet. The visibility was limited. Among the victims was the American actress Carole Lombard, aged 33, her mother Elizabeth Peters and her agent.
Crew:
Wayne C. Williams, pilot,
M. A. Gillette, copilot,
Alice Frances Getz, stewardess.
Source & photos:
http://www.lostflights.com/Commercial-Aviation/11642-TWA-TWA-Douglas-DC-3/5007934_mqCvFr

Probable cause:

Upon the basis of the foregoing findings and of the entire record available at this time, investigation board found that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of the captain after departure from Las Vegas to follow the proper course by making use of the navigational facilities available to him.
Contributing factors:
- The use of an erroneous compass course,
- Blackout of most of the beacons in the neighborhood of the accident,
- Failure of the pilot to comply with TWA's directive of July 17, 1941, issued in accordance with a suggestion from the Administrator of Civil Aeronautics requesting pilots to confine their flight movements to the actual on-course signals.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V in El Paso: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AM547

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Burbank - El Paso

MSN:

414-2629

YOM:

1941

Location:

El Paso

Texas

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was on a delivery flight from California to England via Canada. Due to poor weather conditions in east US, the crew diverted to El Paso. On approach, the twin engine airplane collided with a radio range tower located one mile east of the airport and crashed. Both crew members, US citizens, were killed.
Crew:
Marino Guglielmetti,
Robert McKee.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. It is possible that the crew was blinded while approaching the airport facing the sun.

Crash of a Vultee V-1A in Rancho San Simeon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1938 at 1600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vultee V-1

Operator:

Registration:

NC14250

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Burbank – Rancho San Simeon

MSN:

YOM:

1935

Location:

Rancho San Simeon

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Burbank on a flight to Rancho San Simeon, carrying three British citizens and one pilot. On approach, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to fog. The airplane overshot and crashed past the runway end, bursting into flames. A passenger was injured and three other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Boeing 247D near Newhall: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1937 at 1107 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 247

Operator:

Registration:

NC13315

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Salt Lake City – Las Vegas – Burbank – Long Beach – San Diego

MSN:

1696

YOM:

1935

Flight number:

WX007

Location:

Newhall

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Passing over Saugus at 5,200 feet, the aircraft was already 300 feet below the minimum prescribed altitude. The pilot elected to contact ATC without any success. Due to low visibility caused by foggy conditions, the pilot failed to realize he was flying at an insufficient altitude. With a rate of descent of 525 feet per minute, the twin engine aircraft impacted the slope of the Pinetos Peak located near Newhall. The copilot and four passengers, among them the explorer Martin Johnson, were killed.
Crew:
William W. Lewis, pilot,
Clifford P. Owens, copilot, †
Esther Jo Connor, stewardess.
Passengers:
James Braden, †
Martin Johnson, †
Osa Johnson,
A. L. Loomis, †
E. E. Spencer, †
Arthur Robinson,
R. T. Andersen,
H. H. Hulse,
Lita James,
T. E. Tillinghast.

Probable cause:

Summarizing, therefore, it is evident that several factors gave rise to this accident. Advance notification to the control tower at Burbank, either by the pilot or company personnel, would have assured continuous localizer operation, available to the pilot when needed. Continuing down the Saugus range for two minutes before switching to the Burbank localizer, as prescribed by the company, would have kept the pilot on course for at least two minutes longer and the danger of colliding with the mountains would have been reduced by that much. However, the Saugus range was in continuous operation and it is not understood why the pilot did not immediately switch back to this range when he discovered that the Burbank frequency was busy with voice transmission. This would have definitely guided him through the high mountains or until he had requested and received continuous operation of the Burbank range. Likewise, it is not understood why the pilot continued in descending flight without the aid of range guidance. It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was error on the part of the pilot for descending to a dangerously low altitude without positive knowledge of his position.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 247D near Newhall: 12 killed

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1936 at 1938 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 247

Operator:

Registration:

NC13355

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Oakland – San Francisco – Burbank

MSN:

1737

YOM:

1933

Flight number:

UA034

Location:

Newhall

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Burbank Airport in low visibility due to rain falls, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and lost its both wings. It continued for a hundred metres then collided with a stony wall and crashed in wooded and hilly terrain near Rice Canyon, two miles southwest of Newhall. All 12 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Edwin W. Blom, pilot,
Robert J. McLean, copilot,
Yvonne Trego, stewardess.
Passengers:
Mr. & Mrs. Edward T. Ford Jr.,
M. P. Harem,
John Korn,
A. L. Markwell,
W. A. Newton,
Alex Novak,
H. S. Teague,
Evelyn Valance.

Probable cause:

It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was an error on the part of the pilot for attempting to fly through the Newhall pass at an altitude lower than the surrounding mountains without first determining by radio the existing weather.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 247D in Burbank: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1935 at 2307 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 247

Operator:

Registration:

NC13314

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Burbank – Salt Lake City

MSN:

1695

YOM:

1935

Flight number:

WX006

Location:

Burbank

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

5000

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Burbank Airport, while climbing to a height of 1,000 feet in limited visibility due to fog and night, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, collided with power cables and crashed in a field, bursting into flames. All three occupants, two pilots and a stewardess, were killed.

Probable cause:

Several theories have been suggested as the probable cause of this accident. However, to date, no direct evidence has been uncovered which will substantiate any of them. Thus, it is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was failure of the pilot to maintain proper control of the aircraft while climbing through fog. It is believed he suffered a spatial disorientation while climbing in low visibility due to poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Lockheed 9 Orion in Burbank: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1934 at 0600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 9 Orion

Operator:

Registration:

XA-BEJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

173

YOM:

1934

Location:

Burbank

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, was performing a positioning flight to Burbank Airport to pick up passengers. On final approach, he encountered foggy conditions and failed to realize his altitude was too low when the airplane collided with an obstacle and crashed near a fie station, bursting into flames. The pilot was killed.

Crash of a Lockheed Orion 9 in Hayward: 14 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1933 at 2000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 9 Orion

Operator:

Registration:

NC12226

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Burbank – Oakland

MSN:

184

YOM:

1931

Location:

Hayward

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Oakland Airport, at night and in heavy rain falls, the pilot failed to realize he was flying too low. The landing gear hit the roof of a house and the aircraft crashed in the district of Hayward, less than 5 km from the runway threshold. Few houses were destroyed and among the debris, rescue teams did not find any survivors. All three occupants were killed as well as 11 people on the ground including children. It seems that the pilot was unable to establish a visual contact with the ground due to sudden change in weather conditions.

Probable cause:

Reportedly, NC12226 had descended below a safe height during its approach being conducted in darkness and during a rain, and the crash occurred after its extended undercarriage had struck a rooftop. The underlying cause of the accident was considered to have been an ‘unusual and unforeseen’ meteorological condition that developed in intensity and affected the immediate area of the crash. It was not known if the pilot had received a special weather report broadcast only about 15 minutes earlier, which warned of rain and a low ceiling.

Crash of a Boeing 40B-4 in Burbank: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1932 at 2337 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 40

Operator:

Registration:

NC5389

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

San Diego - Burbank

MSN:

1042

YOM:

1928

Location:

Burbank

Country:

Region: