Newhall

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Oxnard – Palmdale – George – Oxnard

MSN:

20468

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3013

Captain / Total hours on type:

2307.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2791

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1312

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a training mission on behalf of the 28th Squadron based in Oxnard. Following several touch-and-go maneuvers at Palmdale Airport, the crew continued to George Airbase in Victorville. While returning to Oxnard, the captain contacted ATC and received the permission to divert to Ventura Airport to perform few instruments approaches. While descending under VFR mode by night, the captain was informed about the presence of two successives cloud layers at 5,000 feet and 3,000 feet and instructed to report while over the last marker. Five minutes later, the airplane struck trees and crashed about 7 miles southwest of Newhall. Three crew members were killed instantly while three others walked away for all night to find help the next morning at 0630LT.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident remains undetermined but it is believed the pilot-in-command was descending at a too low altitude maybe to maintain a visual contact with the ground.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46E-1-CS Commando in Newhall

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

N59490

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Burbank – San Francisco

MSN:

2942

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route to San Francisco, the crew encountered severe icing conditions and received the permission to return to Burbank. Shortly later, the pilot realized this was not possible and reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed in a field located along a highway in Newhall. The aircraft slid on the ground and hit an electric pole before coming to rest. All three crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

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:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

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

MSN:

1696

YOM:

1935

Flight number:

WX007

Location:

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:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Oakland – San Francisco – Burbank

MSN:

1737

YOM:

1933

Flight number:

UA034

Location:

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 Waco UIC near Newhall: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1934 at 0800 LT

Type of aircraft:

Waco UIC

Operator:

Registration:

NC13065

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Burbank - Burbank

MSN:

3719

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane departed Hollywood-Burbank Airport at 0630LT on a local flight. About an hour and a half into the flight, the pilot encountered limited visibility due to fog and did not realize he was flying at an insufficient altitude. At full speed, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located 6 miles south of Newhall. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all four occupants were killed, among them W. E. 'Tommy' Thomas, owner of the Pacific Airmotive Corporation.
Crew:
W. E. 'Tommy' Thomas, pilot.
Passengers:
Roy W. Kidd,
F. M. Matthews,
Dorothy Benham.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Northrop Alpha 4A in Newhall

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1934 at 2040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Northrop Alpha 4

Operator:

Registration:

NC999Y

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Winslow – Los Angeles

MSN:

YOM:

1931

Location:

Country:

Region: