Homey - Area 51 (Groom Lake)

The Air Force Materiel Command Beech 1900 crashed while on a routine support mission from a remote classified airstrip on the Nellis range to the Tonopah Test Range. It departed at 03:43 for Tonopah. After reporting the runway lights in sight, the pilot configured the airplane for the approach and initiated a circling maneuver to the right for a visual straight-in approach to runway 32. During the turn the pilot suffered a sudden cardiac death. Half way through the turn the airplane began a gradual descent until it impacted the ground. The airplane broke up and burst into flames. Investigation revealed that the pilot had violated federal policy and directives, wilfully deceived flight medical examiners, suppressed significant medical information and ingested inappropriate medications for a deteriorating and dangerous health condition. The pilot had high blood pressure and failed to report it, and denied taking medications to his Federal Aviation Administration flight physical examiners.

The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Burbank to the secret base 51 (aka Homey) located near Groom Lake, Nevada, carrying a crew of four and 10 passengers, atomistics, engineers and scientists who were taking part to the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft building program. Due to the fact that the flight was secret, the crew did not have any radio contact with ATC. Enroute, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and low visibility. While flying in clouds at an altitude of 11,300 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Charleston about 50 feet below the summit, killing all 14 occupants.