Date & Time:
Nov 15, 1964 at 2025 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild F27
Operator:
Registration:
N745L
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Phoenix – Las Vegas
MSN:
29
YOM:
1958
Flight number:
BO114
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
25
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
29
Captain / Total hours on type:
4055
Copilot / Total hours on type:
811
Aircraft flight hours:
14401
Circumstances:
Weather was poor near Las Vegas with indefinite ceiling at 500 feet, sky obscured, 900 m visibility and light snow. Flight 114 was flying a VOR/DME-3 approach when the plane descended below altitude minima. At 9.7 DME, at an elevation of 3575 feet msl the plane struck rising terrain and crashed. The flight should have been at 4300 feet msl at that point. It appeared that the VOR/DME-3 approach procedure was relatively new, having become effective on October 3, 1964. Until November 15 no approaches using this procedure had been flown. The approach chart depiction for the segment of the approach from the 15 mile fix to the 6 mile fix displayed no descent information on the profile section. However, the profile did show a solid horizontal line between the 6 mile fix and the 3 mile fix, with an altitude of 3,100 feet. Further, the solid line was defined in the Chart Legend as "Flight Path," which implied that a descent to 3,100 feet was proper once the fix to which the flight has been cleared is reached.
Probable cause:
The misinterpretation of the approach chart by the captain which resulted in a premature descent below obstructing terrain.
Final Report:
N745L.pdf6.92 MB
