Rural Retreat | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While in cruising altitude by night over Virginia, the airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a huge explosion in a field. The wreckage was found a day later and all three occupants were killed. The airplane was totally destroyed upon impact as it struck the ground in a 60° nose-down attitude at high speed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control in flight and uncontrolled descent due to several errors on part of the flying crew. The following findings were reported:
- The pilot-in-command failed to use or incorrectly used miscellaneous equipment,
- The pilot-in-command failed to follow the approved procedures,
- The crew suffered a spatial disorientation,
- Failure of the electrical system: generators/alternators,
- Electrical failure,
- Failure of the flight and navigation instruments,
- IFR alternator failed in flight,
- Loss of pilots flight instruments due to improper crew action in flight.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-277 near Rural Retreat: 17 killed

Date & Time: Feb 23, 1945 at 0225 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

NC18142

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

New York – Washington DC – Nashville – Los Angeles

MSN:

2138

YOM:

1939

Flight number:

AA009

Location:

Rural Retreat

Virginia

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

17296

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Washington DC Airport at 0011LT bound for Nashville, continued to the southwest at an altitude of 4,000 feet. While cruising in poor weather conditions due to turbulence and rain falls, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the slope of Mt Glade located 5,6 miles southwest of Rural Retreat. Rescue teams arrived on the scene some four hours later. The stewardess and four passengers were seriously injured and evacuated to local hospitals while all 17 other occupants, among them both pilots, were killed.
Crew:
James E. Stroud, pilot, †
Robert E. Brigman, copilot, †
Sarah Worley Padgett, stewardess.

Probable cause:

The Board concludes that the probable cause of the accident was the pilot's failure to properly plan the flight and remain at a sage instrument altitude under existing conditions. A contributing cause of the accident was the company's laxity in dispatching and supervising the flight.

Final Report: