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CA

Crash of A De Havilland DH.4M at March AFB

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1928
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
AC-30422
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
March AFB - March AFB
Location:
March AFB
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances some 1,5 mile east of March AFB. Crew fate unknown.

Crash of a Bach 3-CT-4 Air Yacht in De Sabla

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1928
Type of aircraft:
Bach 3-CT Air Yacht
Operator:
Registration:
NC7658
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Portland – San Francisco
MSN:
4
YOM:
1928
Location:
De Sabla
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Portland to San Francisco, the crew encountered technical problems and elected to make an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in hilly and wooded terrain near De Sabla. All 8 occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Unknown technical failure.

Crash of a Fokker Universal in Orinda

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1928
Type of aircraft:
Fokker Universal
Operator:
Registration:
NC2696
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
402
YOM:
1926
Location:
Orinda
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot James Irving Rutledge was performing a mail flight within California. En route, fuel exhausted and the pilot decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft crashed and was destroyed. Unhurt, the pilot recovered the mail that was delivered to the local post office in Orinda.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Travel Air 4000B near Dunsmuir

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1928
Type of aircraft:
Travel Air 4000
Operator:
Registration:
NC12
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Portland – San Francisco
MSN:
1260
YOM:
1927
Location:
Dunsmuir
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot Arthur D. Starbuck was completing a mail flight from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco. While entering California, he encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to a snowstorm. He lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a canyon in Shasta Springs, near Dunsmuir. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Snowstorm.

Crash of a Ryan M-1 in Bakersfield

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Ryan M-1/M-2
Operator:
Registration:
1
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1
Location:
Bakersfield
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a mail flight, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. Due to low visibility caused by snow falls, the pilot lost his orientation and decided to abandon the aircraft. After he bailed out, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed. The pilot was uninjured.

Crash of a Ryan M-1 in Castaic

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Ryan M-1/M-2
Operator:
Registration:
7
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Saugus – Bakersfield
MSN:
7
Location:
Castaic
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a mail flight from Saugus (Santa Clarita) to Bakersfield, the pilot encountered very bad weather conditions and lost his orientation. He decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed shortly later and was destroyed. The pilot was unhurt.

Crash of a Ryan M-1 in Gustine: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Ryan M-1/M-2
Operator:
Registration:
8
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
8
Location:
Gustine
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances some 3 miles from Gustine, CA. The pilote Edward Neher and the passenger Albert Schaller were killed.

Crash of a Ryan M-1 in Van Nuys: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 12, 1926
Type of aircraft:
Ryan M-1/M-2
Operator:
Registration:
5
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
5
Location:
Van Nuys
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
During a mail flight, the pilot lost his orientation due to heavy rain falls and decided to bail out. Both occupants put their parachute but the aircraft stalled and crashed. The pilot survived while the passenger was killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4B off San Francisco

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1923
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.4
Operator:
Registration:
164
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San Francisco - San Francisco
Location:
San Francisco
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, departed Marina Field for a local test flight. The engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to ditch the airplane in the San Francisco Bay. The pilot was rescued by the crew of a tugboat after an hour.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Curtiss F-5L in Avalon: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1923
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss F-5
Operator:
Registration:
A-3359
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Avalon (Catalina Island)
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While cruising at low height above the sea, the flying boat came out of a foggy area when the crew spotted a boat. While making a manoeuver to avoid a collision, the aircraft went out of control and crashed on rocks. Both pilots were killed and six other occupants were injured.
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