1952 — Dec 1, USAF C47B flies into Mt. San Gorgonio in snowstorm, ~Banning, CA –all 13

–13 Aviation Safety Network. USAF Douglas C-47D crash Mt. San Gorgonio, CA 12-1-1952.
–13 Baugher. 1945 USAAF Serial Numbers. Sep 21, 2011 revision.
–13 Macha. Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West.
–13 Wikipedia. “List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Military Aircraft (1950-1974).
–13 Wikipedia. “San Gorgonio Mountain.”

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network:
“Date: Monday 1 December 1952
“Type: Douglas C-47D (DC-3)
“Operator: United States Air Force – USAF
“Registration: 45-1124
“MSN: 34394/ 17127
“First flight: 1945
“Crew: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
“Passengers: Fatalities; 10 / Occupants: 10
“Total: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
….
“Location: 18 km (11.3 mls) NNW of Banning, CA
“Phase: En route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Bellevue-Offutt AFB, NE…
“Destination airport: Riverside-March AFB, CA…

“Narrative:

“The Douglas C-47D impacted Mt. San Gorgonio in a snowstorm while on a flight from Offutt AFB, Nebraska to March AFB, California killing the 13 men on board.

“On December 5, 1952, a Marine Corps Sikorsky HO3S helicopter crashed while trying to reach the crash site.” (Aviation Safety Network. USAF Douglas C-47D crash Mt. San Gorgonio, CA 12-1-1952.)

Baugher: “Douglas C-47B-50-DK Skytrain….1124 (c/n 17127/34394) crashed on east flank of Mt. San Gorgonio, CA Dec 1, 1952. 13 killed.” (Baugher. 1945 USAAF Serial Numbers. 9-21-2011.)

Macha: “Tragically thirteen men died in the crash of #45-1124 on 12/1/52. Heavy snowfall prevented rescuers from reaching the crash site until 12/21/52, but no bodies were removed until 5/3/53. One of the passengers had survived the crash, but died of exposure within days.” (Macha. Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West.)

Wikipedia: “1 December – A USAF Douglas C-47B Skytrain, 45-1124, crashes in the San Bernardino Mountains with 13 aboard ‘during a lashing storm while ferrying personnel from its home base, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska to March Air Force Base near here.’ Search parties fly out of Norton Air Force Base, San Bernardino, California, and search snow-covered 8,000 foot level near Big Bear Lake, where a sheriff’s deputy reported seeing a fire on Monday night. The aircraft was last heard from at 2151 hrs. PST. Wreck found at ~11,400 foot level of Mount San Gorgonio. All 13 killed while flying (KWF).“ (Wikipedia. “List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Military Aircraft (1950-1974); cites Playground Daily News, Fort Walton, FL, “Transport Plane Wreckage Hunted”, 4 December 1952, Volume 7, Number 44, page 2.)

Wikipedia: “On December 1, 1952, a Douglas C-47 Dakota serial number 45-1124, crashed at the 11,000 feet (3,400 m) level on the eastern face of the mountain. The C-47 was en route from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska to March Air Force Base near Riverside, California when it struck the mountain at night in the middle of a storm. ‘The aircraft was last heard from at 9:51 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Monday.’ Thirteen people died.” (Wikipedia. “San Gorgonio Mountain;” cites Fort Walton, Florida, “Transport Plane Wreckage Hunted”, Playground Daily News, Thursday 4 December 1952, Volume 7, Number 44, page 2.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. USAF Douglas C-47D crash Mt. San Gorgonio, CA 12-1-1952. Accessed 6-2-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19521201-0

Baugher, Joseph F. 1945 USAAF Serial Numbers. 9-21-2011 revision. Accessed 1-1-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1945.html

Macha, G. Pat. Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West. Accessed 10-16-2009 at: http://www.aircraftwrecks.com/pic_archive/pic.htm

Wikipedia. “List of Accidents and Incidents Involving Military Aircraft (1950-1974). 10-16-2009 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accidents_and_incidents_involving_military_aircraft,_1950-1974

Wikipedia. “San Gorgonio Mountain.” Accessed 10-16-2009 at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gorgonio_Mountain