Date:	Thursday 17 January 1963
Time:	15:53
Type:	Fairchild F-27
Owner/operator:	West Coast Airlines
Registration:	N2703
MSN:	6
Year of manufacture:	1958
Total airframe hrs:	11708 hours
Engine model:	Rolls-Royce Dart 511
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	Great Salt Lake, UT -   United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Salt Lake City Municipal Airport, UT (SLC/KSLC)
Destination airport:	Salt Lake City Municipal Airport, UT (SLC/KSLC)
Investigating agency:	CAB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The West Coast Airlines Fairchild F-27, N703, crashed into Great Salt Lake, Utah. The aircraft was destroyed by impact and its suffered fatal injuries.
This was a pilot training flight of a company captain for a type rating check in the Fairchild F-27. It was being given by a company check pilot. Upon satisfactory completion, the trainee captain was to be issued an F-27 type rating by an FAA inspector who was aboard to monitor the check.
During a simulated emergency descent the aircraft crashed into the lake.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The crew's lack of vigilance, for undetermined reasons, in not checking the descent before striking the water."

ICAO Accident Digest No.15 - Volume I, Circular 78-AN/66 (3-7)

photo (c) Fairchild, Frank Ellemers Collection

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