ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-54G-10-DO (DC-4) N88942 Alvarado, CA
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 20 March 1953
Time:18:38
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC4 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-54G-10-DO (DC-4)
Operator:Transocean Air Lines
Registration: N88942
MSN: 36076
First flight: 1945
Total airframe hrs:5976
Engines: 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2000-4
Crew:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 30
Total:Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 35
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:19 km (11.9 mls) SW of Alvarado, CA (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Roswell-Industrial Airport, NM (ROW/KROW), United States of America
Destination airport:Oakland International Airport, CA (OAK/KOAK), United States of America
Flightnumber: 942
Narrative:
Transocean Air Lines Flight 942 departed Roswell at 12:11 for Oakland. The flight was for the purpose of transporting military personnel. After departing Roswell the flight progressed in a routine manner and at 14:51, when in the vicinity of Winslow, Arizona, the Defense VFR flight plan was changed to IFR, still at least 500 feet on top of clouds. At 18:19 the flight reported over the Newark, California, compass locator and fan marker at 8,000 feet where it held for 11 minutes. At 18:27, Oakland Approach Control cleared Flight 942 for a straight-in range approach, to descend in the holding pattern to cross the Newark compass locator at 3,500 feet and to report leaving each 1,000-foot level. Three minutes later, at 18:30, the flight reported leaving 8,000 feet, and subsequently reported leaving each 1,000-foot level. At 18:36, it reported being at 3,500 feet leaving the Newark compass locator inbound. Almost immediately thereafter the aircraft became uncontrollable. The aircraft descended in a steep right wing low slipping attitude until it crashed in a large flat field near Alvarado, CA.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The loss of control of the aircraft for reasons unknown, during its descent from the Newark compass locator."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: CAB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Cause undetermined
Loss of control

Sources:
» CAB File No, 1-0016
» ICAO Accident Digest Circular 39-AN/34 (60-63)


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Roswell-Industrial Airport, NM to Oakland International Airport, CA as the crow flies is 1661 km (1038 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Douglas DC-4

  • 1242 built
  • 180th loss
  • 103rd fatal accident
  • 23rd worst accident (at the time)
  • 38th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 United States of America
  • 19th worst accident (at the time)
  • 98th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

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