Status:	Final
Date:	10 JAN 1945
Time:	ca 04:10
Type:	Douglas DC-3-277B
Operator:	American Airlines
Registration:	NC25684
C/n / msn:	2215
First flight:	1940
Total airframe hrs:	14888
Crew:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:	Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21
Total:	Fatalities: 24 / Occupants: 24
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	near Burbank-Hollywood, CA (United States of America)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	?
Destination airport:	Hollywood-Lockheed Air Terminal, CA (BUR/KBUR), United States of America
Flightnumber:	6001

Narrative:
After making the standard instrument let-down approach to the Burbank Airport the airplane was observed to cross the airport at the ragged base of the clouds and was seen to start a left turn as if circling for a landing. Soon after making the turn the captain radioed the control tower that he could not maintain visual contact with the ground and as proceeding to his alternate, Palmdale. The United States Weather Bureau observations disclosed that below minimum weather conditions exist at Burbank at the time. The pilot had not been properly advised of the latest weather reports. The plane was not heard from or seen again until after daylight at which time the wreckage was sighted in the nearby foothills approximately 2-3/4 miles northeast of the airport.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The possibility of an accident became a potentiality when the company ground personnel failed to obtain and transmit important weather to the pilot. Failure to obtain and transmit this information
to the pilot constitutes negligence on the part of the company. This, however, did not relieve the
pilot of his responsibility to conduct a safe flight although it did place him in a disadvantageous
position. Had no properly execution the "missed-approach" procedure it is unlikely that the accident
would have occurred. The Board, therefore, determines that the probable cause of this accident was
"the pilot's attempt to use the standard 'missed-approach' procedure after having followed another
course up to a point there it was impossible to apply this procedure safely."

Sources:
» CAB File No. 119-45
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com