Status:	Final
Date:	23 FEB 1945
Time:	02:25
Type:	Douglas DC-3-277
Operator:	American Airlines
Registration:	NC18142
C/n / msn:	2138
First flight:	1939
Total airframe hrs:	17296
Engines:	2 Wright G-102
Crew:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:	Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 19
Total:	Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 22
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	9 km (5.6 mls) SW of Rural Retreat, VA (United States of America)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:	Washington (unknown airport), DC, United States of America
Destination airport:	?
Flightnumber:	9

Narrative:
American Airlines Flight 3 en route from New York to Los Angeles departed at 21:39 on February 22, 1945. Departure from Washington had been at 00:11 on February 23. The last radio message from the flight was at 02:05 at 4,000 feet over Pulaski, Virginia. The DC-3 continued, passing through rain and clouds and encountering considerable turbulence. The airplane flew over mountainous terrain and struck the wooded summit of Glade Mountain at approx 3910 feet amsl.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's failure to properly plan the flight and remain at a safe instrument altitude under existing conditions. A contributing cause of the accident was the company's laxity in dispatching and supervising the flight."

Events:

Sources:
» CAB File No. 875-45
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com