What happened
On the morning of September 27, 1973, Texas International Airlines Flight 655 departed from El Dorado Regional Airport with a scheduled destination in Texarkana, Arkansas. The aircraft involved was a Convair 600 turboprop, registered as N601TX. While traversing the mountainous terrain of Arkansas, the flight deviated from its planned path and collided with Black Fork Mountain.
The impact resulted in the immediate destruction of the aircraft. There were no survivors among the eleven individuals on board at the time of the accident. This included the three members of the flight crew and eight passengers who had boarded for the domestic segment of the journey.
Investigation
Federal aviation authorities launched an inquiry to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash into Black Fork Mountain. Investigators examined flight data, weather conditions, and air traffic control communications to establish why the aircraft departed from its assigned altitude and route. The primary focus was on whether mechanical failure, navigational error, or environmental factors contributed to the loss of controlled flight.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the crash was caused by the pilot's failure to maintain adequate terrain clearance during the en-route phase. Contributing factors included the challenging topography of the region and potentially adverse weather conditions that obscured visual references. The Convair 600 struck the mountain at a high speed, leading to the total loss of the aircraft and all 11 occupants. This tragedy highlighted the critical importance of strict adherence to instrument flight rules in mountainous areas.