Date & Time:
Sep 20, 1961 at 2126 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-16002
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Oxnard – Palmdale – George – Oxnard
MSN:
20468
YOM:
1944
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total hours on type:
2307
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1312
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a training mission on behalf of the 28th Squadron based in Oxnard. Following several touch-and-go maneuvers at Palmdale Airport, the crew continued to George Airbase in Victorville. While returning to Oxnard, the captain contacted ATC and received the permission to divert to Ventura Airport to perform few instruments approaches. While descending under VFR mode by night, the captain was informed about the presence of two successives cloud layers at 5,000 feet and 3,000 feet and instructed to report while over the last marker. Five minutes later, the airplane struck trees and crashed about 7 miles southwest of Newhall. Three crew members were killed instantly while three others walked away for all night to find help the next morning at 0630LT.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident remains undetermined but it is believed the pilot-in-command was descending at a too low altitude maybe to maintain a visual contact with the ground.
