Estado:	Final
Fecha:	23 FEB 1945
Hora:	02:25
Tipo:	Douglas DC-3-277
Operador:	American Airlines
Registración:	NC18142
Numéro de série:	2138
Año de Construcción:	1939
Horas Totales de la Célula:	17296
Motores:	2 Wright G-102
Tripulación:	Fatalidades: 2 / Ocupantes: 3
Pasajeros:	Fatalidades: 15 / Ocupantes: 19
Total:	Fatalidades: 17 / Ocupantes: 22
Daños en la Aeronave:	Anulado
Consecuencias:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Ubicación:	9 km (5.6 milles) SW of Rural Retreat, VA (Estados Unidos de América)
Fase:	En ruta (ENR)
Naturaleza:	Vuelo Doméstico Programado
Aeropuerto de Salida:	Washington (unknown airport), DC, Estados Unidos de América
Aeropuerto de Llegada:	?
Número de Vuelo:	9

Descripción:
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."

Fuentes:
» CAB File No. 875-45
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