Date & Time:
Oct 30, 1935 at 1940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing 247
Operator:
Registration:
NC13323
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Cheyenne - Cheyenne
MSN:
1704
YOM:
1935
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local test flight out from Cheyenne Airport following modifications on few cockpit instruments. After take off, while climbing in light rain, the captain initiated a relative sharp turn to the right when the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, reached a nose-down angle of 70° and crashed on the top of a hill. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
An examination of the wreckage did not indicate any failure or malfunctioning of any part of the airplane or engines. It is reasonable to believe that the windshield was iced sufficiently to obscure forward vision but this would not have hindered the pilot materially as he had a full complement of navigation instruments and presumable had unobstructed vision out either side. It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was poor judgment on the part of the pilot for executing an abrupt maneuver with insufficient altitude for safety and failure of the pilot to maintain proper control of the aircraft during this maneuver.
