1955 — Nov 17, blown off course USAF DC-4 flies into top of Mount Charleston, NV –all 14

— 14 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. United States Air Force, 17 Nov 1955.
— 14 Baugher. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). 10-15-2011 rev.
— 14 NFPA. “Summary of Large Loss Aircraft Fires.” Quarterly, V.49, N.4, Apr 1956, p. 395.
— 14 Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. “Fear 14 Dead…Wreck…Military Plane,” 18 Nov 1955.
— 14 State of Nevada Legislature. Senate Joint Resolution No. 9. March 15, 2001.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network: “USAF C-54 44-9068 was routinely assigned to carry scientific and technical personnel from the Lockheed “Skunk Works” in Burbank to the secret Area 51, where they were working on the U-2 plane. Because of the secrecy, the crew were never in contact with air traffic control. The plane flew on a new route that would cut 10 minutes off the total flight time. However, the C-54 was blown off course by a severe storm front and while lost in the clouds, an error in the assumed position of the aircraft in relation to the Spring Mountain range resulted in the crash a mere 50 feet below the crest of an 11,300-foot ridge leading to the peak of Mount Charleston.” (ASN. Accident Description. United States Air Force, 17 Nov 1955.)

Baugher: “Douglas C-54E-5-DO Skymaster….9068 (c/n 27294/DO240) delivered to USAAF Mar 22, 1945. Re-reg to USAF Sep 18, 1947. Attached to CAC-23 at LaGuardia Field; damaged in night takeoff abort accident Jan. 12, 1946 at Meeks Field, Iceland. Converted to C-54M, converted to MC-54M. Attached to 57ATSd/1700Gp at Kelley AFB, TX. Crashed into Mt. Charleston, West-north-west of Las Vegas, NV on Nov. 17, 1955, while on a routine flight with technical personnel from the Lockheed ‘Skunk Works’ to the secret Area 51, when it was blown off course by a severe storm. 14 fatal. USAF C-54 44-9068 as MATS was routinely assigned to carry scientific and technical personnel from the Lockheed ‘Skunk Works’ in Burbank to the secret Area 51, where they were working on the U-2 plane. Because of the secrecy, the crew were never in contact with air traffic control. The plane flew on a new route that would cut 10 minutes off the total flight time. However, the C-54 was blown off course by a severe storm front and while lost in the clouds, an error in the assumed position of the aircraft in relation to the Spring Mountain range resulted in the crash a mere 50 feet below the crest of an 11,300-foot ridge leading to the peak of Mount Charleston.” (Baugher. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). 10-15-2011 revision.)

State of Nevada Legislature: “On November 17, 1955, the C-54 left the Lockheed ‘Skunk Works’ in Burbank, California, for the Military Air Transport Service flight to ‘Watertown [Area 51] beginning the 18th found trip in the past 30 days for Pilot George Manual Pappas, Jr…. Flying by the pilot’s sight and instruments alone, to avoid any possible leak about its secret destination, on a new route that would cut 10 minutes off the total flight time, the C-54 was blown off course by a severe storm front; and…While lost in the clouds, an error in the assumed position of the aircraft in relation to the Spring Mountain range resulted in the crash a mere 50 feet below the crest of an 11,300-foot ridge leading to the peak of Mount Charleston which instantly took the lives of the four crewmen and 10 civilians on board.” (State of Nevada Legislature. Senate Joint Resolution No. 9. March 15, 2001.)

Newspaper

Nov 18: “Las Vegas, Nev. (UP) – The Air Force today rushed rescuers to wreckage atop towering Mt. Charleston believed to be that of a large military plane that disappeared on a ‘secret’ flight with 14 persons aboard. The missing aircraft, reported to be a C54 military transport, was believed headed for a super-secret atomic energy commission installation at the Nearby Nevada proving grounds and may have carried atomic scientists or other important officials.” (Oshkosh Daily Northwestern (WI). “Fear 14 Dead in Wreck of Military Plane,” November 18, 1955.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. United States Air Force, Douglas MC-54M, 17 Nov 1955. Accessed 2-21-2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19551117-1

Baugher, Joseph F. 1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-001 to 44-30910). Oct 15, 2011 revision. Accessed 12-21-2011 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_1.html

National Fire Protection Association. “Summary of Large Loss Aircraft Fires.” Quarterly of the NFPA, Vol. 49, No. 4, April 1956, p. 395.

Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, WI. “Fear 14 Dead in Wreck of Military Plane,” November 18, 1955. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=8956861

State of Nevada Legislature. Senate Joint Resolution No. 9. March 15, 2001, 3 pages. Accessed at: http://www.leg.state.nv.us/71st/bills/SJR/SJR9.pdf