Zone
California

Crash of a Douglas DST-A-207A in Salt Lake City: 17 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1942 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC18146
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Francisco – Oakland – Salt Lake City – New York
MSN:
1978
YOM:
25
Flight number:
UA004
Location:
Salt Lake City
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Captain / Total flying hours:
7015
Captain / Total hours on type:
3236.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
838
Copilot / Total hours on type:
838
Circumstances:
On approach to Salt Lake City Airport at night and in poor weather conditions, pilots did not realise they were flying too low. Aircraft hit a mountain slope few km short of runway and was destroyed by impact forces. All 17 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Navigational error on part of the crew for unknow reasons. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was deviated from its initial track. Civil Aeronautic Board was not able to establish the exact cause of the track deviation. Upon the basis of the foregoing findings and of the entire record available at this time, CAB find that the probable cause of the accident was a deviation from the proper course, for reasons undetermined, after the trip had become off contact within ten miles of the airport.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc on Mt Shasta: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL473
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Eugene – Oakland
Location:
Mt Shasta
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was in charge to ferry the airplane from Eugene to Oakland on behalf of the USAAF Ferry Command. En route, he encountered poor weather conditions. In limited visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Shasta located two miles southeast of the Horse Ridge Lookout Station. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but the wreckage was eventually found by walkers on 22 September 1943.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles Samuel Riley, pilot.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-191 off Point Reyes: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1938 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC16066
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Seattle – Portland – Medford – Sacramento – Oakland – San Francisco – Fresno – Bakersfield – Los Angeles – San Diego
MSN:
1906
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
UA006
Location:
Point Reyes
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
8649
Captain / Total hours on type:
442.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3284
Copilot / Total hours on type:
291
Circumstances:
While flying at night, the crew failed to realize that he was following the wrong track to Oakland and was now over the sea. Both engines failed in flight, forcing the pilot to ditch the airplane off Point Reyes. Five occupants were killed, among them two crew members. The captain and a passenger survived.
Crew:
Charles B. Stead, pilot,
Lloyd E. Jones, copilot, †
Frona B. Clay, stewardess. †
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilot to definitely establish the position of the aircraft through standard orientation procedures within a reasonable time after intersecting a leg of the Oakland radio range at 0317LT, and of company flight dispatchers, charged with the responsibilities of directing the operation of the trip, to properly safeguard the flight, resulting in forced landing of the aircraft at sea due to exhausted fuel supply.
Final Report:

Crash of an Airspeed AS.6A Envoy into the Pacific Ocean: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1934 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.6 Envoy
Operator:
Charles T. P. Ulm
Registration:
VH-UXY
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Vancouver – San Francisco – Oakland – Honolulu – Melbourne
MSN:
31
YOM:
1935
Location:
Pacific Ocean
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was attempting a new record over the Pacific Ocean on a flight from Vancouver to Melbourne with intermediate stops in San Francisco, Oakland and Honolulu. En route to Hawaii, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. Due to low visibility, he was unable to localize the islands and sent several radio messages advising he was lost and running out of fuel. The aircraft named 'Stella Australis' eventually crashed into the ocean around 1000LT. Despite an extensive and immediate search by aircraft and 23 naval ships, no trace of the Envoy nor the crew was ever found. Captain Ulm had chosen not to carry a life raft on board, preferring to save weight and predicting the aircraft would float for two days if it were forced to land on water.
Crew:
Charles T. P. Ulm, pilot,
G. M. Littlejohn, copilot,
J. S. Skilling, radio navigator.
Probable cause:
It is believed an unexpected tailwind and bad weather caused the aircraft to fly past the islands in the dark (early morning). The wind was about 35 knots from the south-southeast and the aircraft may also have been pushed north of the islands.

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:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Burbank – Oakland
MSN:
184
YOM:
1931
Location:
Hayward
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
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 in Rocky Ridge: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1932 at 0002 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 40
Operator:
Registration:
NC281
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Oakland – Reno
MSN:
892
YOM:
1927
Location:
Rocky Ridge
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Few minutes after his departure from Oakland Airport, bound for Reno, the pilot encountered poor visibility. He reduced his altitude, apparently to establish a visual contact with the ground, when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located in Rocky Ridge, about 11 miles northeast of Oakland Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Boeing 80A in Sterling

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1932
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 80
Operator:
Registration:
NC229M
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Chicago – Oakland
MSN:
1087
YOM:
1929
Location:
Sterling
Illinois
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Chicago to Oakland, while cruising over the area of Sterling, west of Chicago, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls, turbulences and thunderstorm activity. The captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in an open field when, upon touchdown, the airplane went out of control and crashed. All eight occupants evacuated safely.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing due to poor weather conditions.

Crash of a Boeing 40B in Rio Vista: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1932 at 0024 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 40
Operator:
Registration:
NC291
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakland - Reno
MSN:
902
YOM:
1927
Location:
Rio Vista
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While cruising at night on a mail flight from Oakland to Reno, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. The airplane went out of control and crashed, killing the pilot, sole on board.

Crash of a Boeing 40B in Salt Lake City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1931 at 0240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 40
Operator:
Registration:
NC286
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakland – Salt Lake City
MSN:
897
YOM:
1927
Location:
Salt Lake City
Utah
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed Oakland on a mail flight to Salt Lake City. While on approach at night, he encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls. Control was lost and the airplane crashed some 14 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. The pilot was killed.

Crash of a Boeing 40B-4 off Oakland: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1931 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 40
Operator:
Registration:
NC10347
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oakland – Medford
MSN:
1428
YOM:
1930
Location:
Oakland
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Oakland Airport, while climbing at night, the pilot encountered an unexpected situation. He attempted to return to the airport when he lost control of the airplane that crashed in the San Francisco Bay, bursting into flames. All four occupants were killed.
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