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Crash of a Douglas DC-3-178 in Centerville: 11 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1943 at 2317 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC16008
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Cleveland – Columbus – Dayton – Cincinnati – Louisville – Nashville – Memphis
MSN:
1588
YOM:
1936
Flight number:
AA063
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Captain / Total flying hours:
7928
Captain / Total hours on type:
3000.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1470
Copilot / Total hours on type:
776
Aircraft flight hours:
17774
Circumstances:
The aircraft christened 'Flagship Missouri' departed Nashville for its last leg to Memphis and climbed to 6000 feet when the pilot reported cruising at this level at 2259LT. Seven minutes later, at 2306LT, the flight called Nashville and requested permission to climb to 8000 feet, which was approved. However altitude was lost until the DC-3 descended into the thickly wooded southern slope of a hill which rose to a height of about 75 feet.
Crew:
Dale F. Dryer, pilot,
William J. Brand, copilot,
Margaret A. Jewell, stewardess.
Probable cause:
Inability of the aircraft to gain or maintain altitude due to carburetor ice or propeller ice or wing ice of some combination of these icing conditions while over terrain and in weather unsuitable for an emergency landing. The following was considered as a contributory factor: weather conditions which, had their nature been anticipated, should have precluded the dispatch of the flight in an aircraft no equipped with wind or propeller deicing equipment.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-197 in Centerville: 10 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1940 at 0442 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NC16086
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Oakland – San Francisco – Sacramento – Reno – Elko – Salt Lake City
MSN:
1925
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
UA016
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
16855
Captain / Total hours on type:
2160.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3341
Copilot / Total hours on type:
2500
Aircraft flight hours:
8694
Circumstances:
While cruising in poor visibility due to the night and snow falls, the aircraft impacted the slope of the Bountiful Peak located in the Wasatch Mountain Range, some five km northeast of Centerville. SAR arrived on the scene around 0900LT. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
On the basis of the foregoing findings of fact and upon all of the evidence available at this time, investigators find that the probable cause of the accident was the malfunctioning of the Salt Lake radio range and that substantial contributing factors to the accident were:
- The failure of the communications operators at Tintic, Plymouth, and Salt Lake City, Utah, whose duty it was to monitor the range, to detect its malfunctioning and immediately notify those concerned; and
- The failure of the pilot to follow to the fullest extent established radio range technique in accordance with the requirements of the procedure established by United and approved by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Final Report: