Narrative:
The C-46 took off from Wickenburg, AZ at 07:43 on a training flight. The crew were performing an instrument let down to Long Beach when it flew into the side of Pallet Mountain at an altitude of 7300 feet. The wreckage was found on February 26, 1944.
» Plane wreck is located (Nevada State Journal, 1944-02-27)
» Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West
» Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945, Vol. 2: July 1943-July 1944 / Anthony J. Mireles
| Status: | |
| Date: | Sunday 20 February 1944 |
| Time: | 12:00 |
| Type: |  Curtiss C-46A-10-CU Commando |
| Operating for: | Western Air Lines |
| Leased from: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-12363 |
| MSN: | 26490 |
| First flight: | 1943 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 32 km (20 mls) SE of Palmdale, CA ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Wickenburg Municipal Airport, AZ, United States of America |
| Long Beach Municipal Airport, CA (LGB/KLGB), United States of America |
The C-46 took off from Wickenburg, AZ at 07:43 on a training flight. The crew were performing an instrument let down to Long Beach when it flew into the side of Pallet Mountain at an altitude of 7300 feet. The wreckage was found on February 26, 1944.
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» Aviation Archaeological Investigation and Research (AAIR)» Plane wreck is located (Nevada State Journal, 1944-02-27)
» Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West
» Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945, Vol. 2: July 1943-July 1944 / Anthony J. Mireles
Photos
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 Wickenburg Municipal Airport, AZ to Long Beach Municipal Airport, CA as the crow flies is 491 km (307 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
Distance from Wickenburg Municipal Airport, AZ to Long Beach Municipal Airport, CA as the crow flies is 491 km (307 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.
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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