Date:	Sunday 12 January 1947
Time:	01:38
Type:	Douglas C-49-DO (DC-3)
Owner/operator:	Eastern Air Lines
Registration:	NC88872
MSN:	3274
Year of manufacture:	1941
Total airframe hrs:	7680 hours
Engine model:	Wright R-1820-G202A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Galax, VA -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Akron/Canton Regional Airport, OH (CAK/KCAK)
Destination airport:	Winston-Salem-Smith-Reynolds Airport, NC (INT/KINT)
Investigating agency:	CAB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Against standard company procedure the flight continued direct to Winston-Salem instead of via the Greensboro range. A let-down was started without definitely establishing the position of the aircraft in relation to the Winston-Salem radio station. The DC-3 flew into the ground in rugged country 63 miles NW of Winston-Salem at an altitude of about 2500 feet.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The action of the pilot in attempting a let-down without having positively determined the position of the aircraft. A contributing factor was the erroneous navigation of the pilot which on at least two occasions led him to believe that he was farther south than he actually was"

Air Britain Casualty compendium (pt. 45)
CAB File No. 1-0005-47

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