Narrative:
At 05:59 the aircraft departed Tucson for a flight to San Diego. At 07:54 the weather report for San Diego read: indefinite ceiling 1,200 feet, broken clouds; visibility 8 miles. Receipt of this information was acknowledged by Flight 6-103 and immediately thereafter the flight reported that it had been over El Centro, California, at 07:53 at 8,000 feet. Somehow the airplane thereafter descended until it crashed into Thing Mountain at an altitude of approx. 4860 feet.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The action of the pilot in descending or permitting a descent to be made, into instrument conditions to an altitude below that required to maintain clearance over Thing Mountain. The reason for this descent has not been determined."
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 3 March 1946 |
| Time: | 08:12 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-3-277B |
| Operator: | American Airlines |
| Registration: | NC21799 |
| MSN: | 2203 |
| First flight: | 1940 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 16322 |
| Engines: | 2 Wright R-1820-G102 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 22 / Occupants: 22 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 25 / Occupants: 25 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | Thing Mountain, CA ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Tucson International Airport, AZ (TUS/KTUS), United States of America |
| San Diego (unknown airport), CA, United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 6-103 |
At 05:59 the aircraft departed Tucson for a flight to San Diego. At 07:54 the weather report for San Diego read: indefinite ceiling 1,200 feet, broken clouds; visibility 8 miles. Receipt of this information was acknowledged by Flight 6-103 and immediately thereafter the flight reported that it had been over El Centro, California, at 07:53 at 8,000 feet. Somehow the airplane thereafter descended until it crashed into Thing Mountain at an altitude of approx. 4860 feet.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The action of the pilot in descending or permitting a descent to be made, into instrument conditions to an altitude below that required to maintain clearance over Thing Mountain. The reason for this descent has not been determined."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
» CAB File No. 323-46Photos
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-3
- ca 13.000 built
- 2284th loss
- 716th fatal accident
- 18th worst accident (at the time)
- 113th worst accident (currently)
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