Date & Time:
Feb 1, 1958 at 1913 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed P-2 Neptune
Operator:
Registration:
127723
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Los Alamitos - Los Alamitos
MSN:
426-5054
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Los Alamitos AAF for a local training flight with eight crew members on board. While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane collided with a USAF Douglas C-118A Liftmaster. Registered 53-3277, it left Long Beach Airport five minutes earlier bound for McGuire AFB, New Jersey, with 35 passengers and a crew of six on board. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in Norwalk. The Liftmaster crashed on several building and a fuel station, killing all 41 occupants and one woman on the ground. The Neptune crashed in a stone-pit located about 2.5 miles north of the C-118 crash site. Six crew members were killed while two others were seriously injured. The accident occurred by night but in good weather conditions with a visibility above 15 miles.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the collision occurred in an uncontrolled area. Both crews were considered as co-responsible of the accident as they failed to take the appropriate measures to avoid each other and to pay attention to potential traffic. The crew of the C-118 was blamed not giving the priority to the Neptune which was flying to his right.
