Crash of a Douglas DC-9-14 near Wemme: 18 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 1, 1966 at 2010 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N9101
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
San Francisco – Eugene – Portland – Seattle
MSN:
45794/52
YOM:
1966
Flight number:
WC956
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Captain / Total hours on type:
17.00
Copilot / Total hours on type:
9
Aircraft flight hours:
164
Circumstances:
West Coast Flight 956 departed San Francisco (SFO) at 18:44 for a flight to Eugene (EUG), Portland (PDX) and Seattle (SEA). The brand new DC-9 aircraft, which had been delivered to West Coast Airlines just 2 weeks earlier, arrived at Eugene at 19:34 and took off again 18 minutes later. At 20:04 the crew were cleared to descend from the cruising altitude of FL140 to 9000 feet. While turning to heading 300°, the aircraft descended below the clearance altitude and impacted the wooded eastern slope of Salmon Mountain at the 3830 feet level. The aircraft attitude was 30° right bank, in a 3-4° climbing flight path on a heading of 265°. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 18 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The descent of the aircraft below its clearance limit and below that of surrounding obstructing terrain, but the Board had been unable to determine the cause of such descent.
Final Report:
