Accident description
Last updated: 24 May 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 30 OCT 1959 |
| Time: | 20:40 EST |
| Type: | Douglas C-47A-90-DL |
| Operator: | Piedmont Airlines |
| Registration: | N55V |
| C/n / msn: | 20447 |
| First flight: | 1944 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 24 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 26 / Occupants: 27 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Bucks Elbow Mountain, VA (United States of America) |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Washington (unknown airport), DC, United States of America |
| Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, VA (CHO/KCHO), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 349 |
The DC-3 was flying an instrument approach to Charlotteville, 8 to 11 miles west of the manoeuvring area prescribed by the instrument approach procedure. During the inbound portion of the procedure turn the aircraft struck the rocky slope of a 3100 feet mountain at an elevation of about 2600 feet.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "A navigational omission which resulted in a lateral course error that was not detected and corrected through precision instrument flying procedures. A contributing factor to the accident may have been pre-occupation of the captain resulting from mental stress." Events:
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 64-AN/58 (68-75)
Photos
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.
languages:
United States of America
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Douglas DC-3
- 2077th loss
- ca 13.000 built
- 37th worst accident (at the time)
- 82nd worst accident (currently)
United States of America- 46th worst accident (at the time)
- 131st worst accident (currently)