Orinda

Before the accident, witnesses observed the aircraft circling in a valley beneath a low cloud layer and below the surrounding hilltops. They estimated the ceiling was 400 feet obscured. Two witnesses said the aircraft entered clouds before it crashed. A 3rd witness, who was a pilot, said the aircraft was at a very low altitude when it approached rising/mountainous terrain; he said the aircraft then entered a steep climbing turn and stalled after making two complete turns. Impact occurred in a nose low, left wing down attitude. No preimpact mechanical problem was found. The FAA had issued the pilot a special 3rd class medical certificate after he had quintuple heart bypass surgery. He was reported to have gotten 'quite angry' before the flight, when 2 passengers were late. A pathologist believed the pilot's death may have been due to arteriosclerotic heart disease; however, this was not verified. The pilot did not have an instrument rating and no record of a preflight weather briefing was found. All five occupants were killed.

After departing San Jose, CA, the pilot climbed to an altitude of 4,600 feet msl and proceeded toward Novato, CA. From 1528 to 1533 PST, radar data showed that the aircraft was level at 4,600 feet on a heading of 330° at 180 FTS ground speed. Radar info showed that the aircraft then entered a descent. During a 24 seconds period, the aircraft descended to an altitude of 4,100 feet msl and its heading changed 10° to the right. The last radar position, 12 seconds later, revealed an additional heading change of 150° to the right, accompanied by a descent to 2,300 (9000 from descent). Witnesses saw the aircraft descending at high speed in a right turn with the engines at high power. Just prior to impact, the right bank angle and nose low attitude increased. The aircraft crashed in a steep nose down, right wing low, attitude. No preimpact, mechanical malfunction or failure was found. No autopsy was made, only a gross exam of the pilot's fragmented body was possible. Before departing San Jose, the pilot had remarked that he was bothered by a bad cold. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The single engine aircraft was on its way from Monterey, California, to Presidio-Crissy Field AFB in San Francisco, carrying four US Army officers and two crew members who should take part to a football game. While cruising at an altitude of 1,300 feet, the pilot encountered poor visibility due to foggy conditions when the airplane struck a water tower located on the top of a hill. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed into a ravine. All six occupants were killed. The Fort Ord Training Center commander and his deputy were killed in the crash.

The pilot James Irving Rutledge was performing a mail flight within California. En route, fuel exhausted and the pilot decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed. Unhurt, the pilot recovered the mail that was delivered to the local post office in Orinda.