Accident Douglas DC-3-277 NC18142,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 338651

Date:	Friday 23 February 1945
Time:	02:25
Type:	Douglas DC-3-277
Owner/operator:	American Airlines
Registration:	NC18142
MSN:	2138
Year of manufacture:	1939
Total airframe hrs:	17296 hours
Engine model:	Wright R-1820-G102
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 22
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	9 km SW of Rural Retreat, VA - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA)
Destination airport:	Nashville-Berry Field, TN (BNA/KBNA)
Investigating agency:	CAB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

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."

Accident investigation: