Status:	Final
Date:	18 NOV 1979
Time:	04:56 MST
Type:	Lockheed L-188CF Electra
Operator:	Transamerica Airlines
Registration:	N859U
C/n / msn:	2016
First flight:	1960
Total airframe hrs:	41764
Engines:	4 Allison 501-D13
Crew:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Airplane damage:	Written off
Airplane fate:	Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:	Salt Lake City, UT (United States of America)
Phase:	En route (ENR)
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:	?
Destination airport:	Las Vegas-Nellis AFB, NV (LSV/KLSV), United States of America
Flightnumber:	18

Narrative:
Flight 3N18 departed Hill AFB for an IFR cargo flight to Nellis AFB. While climbing from FL120 to FL130 the crew reported loss of electrical power and requested no-gyro vectors to visual flight conditions and immediate descent clearance. During the descent the aircraft attained a high airspeed and high rate of descent and disintegrated in flight.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "A progressive failure in the aircraft's electrical system leading to the disabling or erratic performance of some critical flight instruments and flight instrument lighting while the flight was operating in night instrument meteorological condition. As a result of these conditions, the flight crew could not resolve the instrumentation anomalies to determine proper aircraft attitude reference, and became disoriented and lost control of the aircraft. The crew's efforts to regain control of the aircraft imposed aerodynamic loads which exceeded design limits of the aircraft and caused it to break up in flight."

Events:

Sources:
» NTSB-AAR-80-11