Date & Time:
Sep 1, 1953 at 1830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-49 (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
N19941
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Fort Ord - McChord
MSN:
6333
YOM:
1942
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
19
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
21
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000
Copilot / Total hours on type:
500
Aircraft flight hours:
8398
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a special flight from Fort Ord AFB (Monterey) to McChord AFB, carrying 19 military passengers and two pilots. En route, the crew cancelled the IFR flight plan and continued under VFR in poor weather conditions. At an altitude of 2,600 feet in foggy conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain, was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 21 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The Board finds that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot’s attempt to continue flight under the provisions of Visual Flight Rules during instrument conditions. The following findings were pointed out:
- All ground radio facilities were functioning normally,
- An instrument flight plan had been cancelled and the flight was proceeding in accordance with visual flight rules,
- The crash occurred during daylight on a fog-covered hillside at an altitude of about 2,600 feet MSL,
- The crash site was on the airway and the direction of impact was near the on-course heading.
- All ground radio facilities were functioning normally,
- An instrument flight plan had been cancelled and the flight was proceeding in accordance with visual flight rules,
- The crash occurred during daylight on a fog-covered hillside at an altitude of about 2,600 feet MSL,
- The crash site was on the airway and the direction of impact was near the on-course heading.
Final Report:
N19941.pdf320.74 KB
