ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3C N65276 Phoenix, AZ
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 21 April 1957
Time:13:44
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas DC-3C
Operator:Frontier Airlines (FL)
Registration: N65276
MSN: 19202
First flight: 1943
Total airframe hrs:26844
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 22
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 26
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Repaired
Location:64 km (40 mls) N of Phoenix, AZ (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Prescott Airport, AZ (PRC/KPRC), United States of America
Destination airport:Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport, AZ (PHX/KPHX), United States of America
Flightnumber: 7
Narrative:
Frontier flight 7 was a regular service between Denver, CO and Phoenix, AZ with several intermediate stops. The flight departed Prescott, Arizona at 13:21 for the final leg. Cruising altitude was 6500 feet. En route the airplane descended due to decreasing visibility. At an altitude of about 4600 feet the left wing impacted the side of a mountain ridge. The portion of the left wing and the aileron torn off was from station 286.4 outboard to the tip.
A safe landing was made at Phoenix at 14:05.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the attempt by the pilot to fly over mountainous terrain by visual reference to the ground in weather conditions which severely restricted forward visibility and necessitated a descent to a dangerously low altitude."

Accident investigation:

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

Classification:
VFR flight in IMC
Forced landing on runway

Sources:
» CAB Report


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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 Prescott Airport, AZ to Phoenix-Sky Harbor International Airport, AZ as the crow flies is 140 km (87 miles).

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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