1946 — Dec 24, Western Air 44 hits Cuyapaipe Mt., too-low approach to San Diego, CA– 12

Last edit 11-3-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–12  Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Western Air Lines # 44, 24 Dec 1946.

–12  CAB. Accident Investigation Report. Western Airlines – Mt. Laguna, CA, Dec 24, 1947.

–12  Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” AJFM&P, 3/1, Mar 1982, p53.

–12  Notable California Aviation Disasters. “The 1940s.” 

Narrative Information

Civil Aeronautics Board Accident Investigation Report (Western Air Lines, 12-24-1946):

“The Accident

“Western Air Lines Flight 44. A Douglas DC-3, NC-45395, en route from Holtville to San Diego, California, crashed on the eastern slope of Cuyapaipe Mountain three miles south-southeast of Mt. Laguna, at 19l9, December 24, 1946. The aircraft was demolished by impact and subsequent fire and all 12 occupants were fatally injured/[1]

“History of the Flight

“Flight 44 had originated at Los Angeles, California, on the afternoon of December 24, 1946, and was on a return flight from Holtville to Los Angeles, with intermediate stops at San Diego and Long Beach. The same crew that had flown the plane to Holtville was returning it to Los Angeles.

“The flight departed Holtville at 1850 and was cleared to the Lindbergh Tower at San Diego on a contact flight plan [visual observation of the horizon or of landmarks] to cruise at 7,000 feet, to make a contact flight rule approach, and if that were not possible, to maintain 7,000 feet altitude and advise approach control. En route at 1909, the flight made a position report to the company radio at Los Angeles advising that it was over Mt. Laguna at 7,000 feet and that it was changing to the Lindbergh Tower frequency. The flight established communications with Mt. Laguna radio at 1912 and wished the personnel there a Merry Christmas but gave no position report during this contact. The aircraft communicator at Mt. Laguna returned the greeting, after which he voluntarily advised the flight of the local weather and gave the altimeter setting. Flight 44 acknowledged receipt of this information.

“The last transmissions heard by the Mt. Laguna communicator were at 1918 and 1980 30 when the flight was attempting to communicate with Lindbergh Tower. Attempt to contact the flight by Lindbergh Tower and the company radio after it was overdue were unsuccessful and search operations were subsequently inaugurated.

“Investigation

“Subsequent to the accident the prevailing overcast lowered and low ceilings and rains continued to exist which made air search impracticable. A ground search party discovered the wreckage on the morning of December 27. It was located on the eastern slope of Cuyapaipe Mountain approximately 75 feet from the crest at an elevation of 6,120 feet, 66 miles west of Holtville….

“Examination revealed no evidence of any failure or malfunctioning of the aircraft, engines or accessories, or any evidence of fire before impact. Inspection of propellers and engines indicated power was being developed by both engines on impact. Inspection of the company maintenance records disclosed that the aircraft was in an airworthy condition upon its departure from Holtville….It is apparent from abrasion marks of the left wing tip on a boulder that the aircraft was in a left bank of approximately 37 degrees and the distribution of the wreckage indicated that it was on a heading of 215 degrees at the moment of impact. The time of the accident was established as 1919 by watches recovered from the crash….

“….Pilots who flew over the route within forth-five minutes preceding and after the time of the accident indicated that turbulence was very light or non-existent and that downdrafts were not apparent.

“Discussion

“Although not contributory to this accident, it is nevertheless apparent that the flight was improperly cleared as CAR Part 61 requires night contact flights to be cleared 1,000 feet over the highest terrain within five miles on either side of the flight path to be flown. The impact site was within the airway at an elevation of 6,120 feet, 75 feet below the crest of the ridge. In establishing the proper altitude for this night contact flight, the company dispatcher was bound only by CAR Part 61 as no minimum altitudes were specified in the route specification. Although contrary to the Civil Air Regulations, 7,000 feet was in practice used by the air carrier as a night contact clearance altitude from Holtville to San Diego. Since the time of the accident the company has established a minimum night contact flight altitude of 9,000 feet over this route….

“….As the accident occurred during the hours of darkness, the overcast and the absence of reflected light would make the area over the mountains very dark. Since this area is sparsely settled there are few lights by which the pilots would be able to determine the altitude above the ground….

“The flight, proceeding in a westerly direction, had reported ‘over Mt. Laguna’ at 1909 and the time of the accident was 1919, yet the location of the accident was east of the flight’s reported position. Had the 1909 position report been correct, the flight would have progressed approximately twenty-two miles farther west in the intervening ten minutes. Furthermore, it cannot be understood how the pilot’s over Mt. Laguna could have been correct as this would have given the flight a ground speed of 205 miles per hour which is improbable due to a prevailing wind of approximately 30 miles per hour from a southerly direction. It is more probable that the ground speed was approximately 175 miles per hour. Therefore, it can be concluded that the pilot’s position report was in error, and that a descent was established before the high terrain in the vicinity of Laguna Mountain had been based.

“Preoccupation in tuning the radio to establish communications with Lindbergh Tower and the absence of any lights which would make the mountain readily visible could account for approaching the mountain too closely. The angle of bank at the moment of impact indicated that the pilot apparently did see the mountain but too late to avoid it….

“The altitude necessary to clear the Laguna mountain range was considerably higher than the bottom of the overcast at San Diego. In order to avoid entering the overcast and making an instrument approach at San Diego, which would have delayed the flight, it would be necessary to start the descent as soon as possible after passing the Laguna mountain range. The Mt. Laguna non-directional radio beacon, which operated only ‘on request’ and which provides an excellent radio check for the position over Mt. Laguna, was not requested by the pilot. Subsequent to the accident this facility has been placed in continuous operation by the Civil Aeronautics Administration

“Findings

“On the basis of all available evidence, the Board finds that:

….

“10. The flight’s position report “over Mt. Laguna” was in error as the aircraft was east of the reported position.

“11. The flight was cleared at an altitude which did not provide 1,000 feet clearance above terrain as required by the Civil Air Regulations.

“12. An altitude was not maintained that would clear all obstructions….

“Probable Cause

“The Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the conduct of the flight at an altitude which would not clear obstructions, due to an error by the pilot in determining his position with respect to Laguna Mountain.” (Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Western Airlines – Mt. Laguna, CA, Dec 24, 1946.)

Notable California Aviation Disasters:

“Date / Time: Tuesday, December 24, 1946 / Time: 7:19 p.m.

“Operator / Flight No.: Western Air Lines / Flight 44

“Location: Cuyapaipe Mountain, near Mount Laguna, Calif.

“Details and Probable Cause: On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, 1946, the Western Air Lines Douglas C-53D-DO (DC-3) airliner (NC45395) made its scheduled run from Los Angeles to the airport at the town of Holtville, located in south-central Imperial County.

“For the return trip to Los Angeles, Flight 44 boarded nine passengers in addition to its assigned crew of three, and was scheduled to make intermediate stops at San Diego and Long Beach.  The twin-engine airliner departed Holtville at 6:50 p.m. and was cleared by the tower at Lindbergh Field in San Diego to fly under contact (visual) rules at an altitude of 7,000 feet.

“At 7:09 p.m. the aircraft radioed a company dispatcher in Los Angeles, reporting that the DC-3 was “over Mt. Laguna” (the namesake peak in the Laguna Mountains used as a checkpoint) and would be switching to the Lindbergh Tower frequency. Three minutes later, the airliner contacted ground personnel at the radio checkpoint station at Mt. Laguna and wished them a “Merry Christmas.”   The Mt. Laguna operator returned the greeting and voluntarily provided the DC-3 crew with a local weather report and altimeter setting.   The aircraft acknowledged the message but requested no position check, nor did the pilots make use of the Mt. Laguna radio beacon to establish a positive radio fix.

“A few minutes later, at 7:18 p.m., the aircraft was heard attempting to contact the Lindbergh Tower.   Lindbergh radio controllers responded, but no further calls or responses were heard from Flight 44.   When it soon became apparent that the plane had vanished and was overdue at San Diego, a search was immediately initiated but not long afterward weather conditions in the area deteriorated, and the ensuing low ceiling and continual rain over the next several days made any search by air impractical.

“On the morning of Friday, December 27, a ground search party in eastern San Diego County confirmed everyone’s worst fears when it discovered the burnt, scattered wreckage of the missing airliner to the south and east of Mt. Laguna; all 12 aboard Western Airlines Flight 44 had died when the plane slammed into Cuyapaipe Mountain.

“The accident investigation that followed revealed that the aircraft’s radioed report of being “over Mt. Laguna” was tragically incorrect.   The airliner, flying over the dark, mountainous terrain, was actually still east of the entire Laguna range and failed to clear the 6,375-foot-high Cuyapaipe Mountain, smashing into its eastern slope at an altitude of approximately 6,120 feet.

“At the accident site, approximately 66 miles west of Holtville, evidence suggested that the pilots had seen Cuyapaipe Mountain suddenly looming in front of them and were banking the plane to the left when the impact occurred.

“Investigators also speculated that the pilot might have mistaken an illuminated navigational beacon located east of the Laguna Mountains for another one that was more to the west, in closer proximity to the mountains.   If correct, this theory might possibly explain the pilot’s report of being “over Mt. Laguna” and, therefore, he believed the plane was safely past the mountain range, but this was merely conjecture on the part of the investigators.

“However, it also appeared that the flight was improperly cleared to fly at an altitude (7,000 feet) that did not provide “1,000 feet clearance above terrain” as required by the Civil Air Regulations (CAR) for nighttime contact (visual) flights.   The established airway avoided the 6,603-foot-high Mt. Laguna, but passed to the south over nearby Cuyapaipe Mountain, with its height of 6,375 feet.   Thus, by CAR guidelines, the clearance should have specified a minimum flight level of at least 7,375 feet or higher.

“But it turned out that although contrary to the Civil Air Regulations, 7,000 feet was, in practice, used by Western Air Lines as a night contact clearance altitude from Holtville to San Diego.  Following the crash, the company established a minimum night contact clearance altitude of 9,000 feet over the route.

“The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in concluding its investigation, found that the probable cause of the accident was that Flight 44 was conducted “at an altitude which would not clear obstructions, due to an error by the pilot in determining his position” with respect to the mountains on the plane’s flight path.

“The Christmas Eve crash was the second fatal DC-3 accident to occur in the Laguna Mountains of San Diego County in less than a year (see March 3, 1946…).

“Fatalities: 12 — 3 crew members; 9 passengers.” (Notable CA Aviation Disasters. “The 1940s.”) 

Sources

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Western Air Lines Flight 44, 24 Dec 1946. Accessed at:  http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19461224-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Western Air Lines Inc., — Mt. Laguna, California, December 24, 1946. Washington, DC: CAB, Dec 9, 1947, 6 pages. Accessed at:  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiD1YWmnqiCAxVxGVkFHRM-BWAQFnoECCwQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Frosap.ntl.bts.gov%2Fview%2Fdot%2F33291%2Fdot_33291_DS1.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1ts8g3AIYd_Lk30a2vPFBJ&opi=89978449

Eckert, William G. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 3, No. 1, March 1982, Table 1.

Notable California Aviation Disasters. “The 1940s.” Sep 25, 2009 update. Accessed 10-17-2009 at:  http://www.jaydeebee1.com/crash40s.html [No longer operable.]

[1] Nine passengers and a crew of three.  (ASN AAR, Western Air Lines # 44, 24 Dec 1946.)