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
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
15
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
17
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.
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:
NC18142.pdf425.83 KB
