Narrative:
The aircraft impacted the side of a hill.
United Trip 4 was a passenger flight from San Francisco Municipal Airport, California, with New York, as its destination. Intermediate stops were scheduled, the first two of which were Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
PROBABLE CAUSE:
"The probable cause of the accident was a deviation from the proper course, for reasons undetermined, after the trip had become contact within ten miles of the airport."
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Friday 1 May 1942 |
| Time: | 23:00 |
| Type: |  Douglas DST-A-207A (DC-3) |
| Operator: | United Airlines |
| Registration: | NC18146 |
| MSN: | 1978 |
| First flight: | 1938 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 6 km (3.8 mls) NE of Salt Lake City Municipal Airport, UT (SLC) ( United States of America)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 1540 m (5052 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Oakland Municipal Airport, CA (OAK/KOAK), United States of America |
| Salt Lake City Municipal Airport, UT (SLC/KSLC), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | Trip 4 |
The aircraft impacted the side of a hill.
United Trip 4 was a passenger flight from San Francisco Municipal Airport, California, with New York, as its destination. Intermediate stops were scheduled, the first two of which were Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE:
"The probable cause of the accident was a deviation from the proper course, for reasons undetermined, after the trip had become contact within ten miles of the airport."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Oakland Municipal Airport, CA to Salt Lake City Municipal Airport, UT as the crow flies is 938 km (587 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Oakland Municipal Airport, CA to Salt Lake City Municipal Airport, UT as the crow flies is 938 km (587 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Douglas DC-3
- ca 13.000 built
- 47th loss
- 22nd fatal accident
- 6th worst accident (at the time)
- 305th worst accident (currently)
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