What happened
During a nighttime flight conducted under visual flight rules (VFR), the crew altered their planned course from a heading of 170° to 195°. This change in direction was made under the impression that the aircraft was flying over the valley. Shortly after this deviation, the aircraft impacted a ridge on the slopes of Mount Whitney, which has an elevation of 11,770 feet, near Lone Pine.
The incident resulted in 35 fatalities, with no survivors. Following the disappearance, search and rescue operations were initiated but were later halted after several days when no debris or remains could be located. The wreckage was not discovered until August 8, 1969, because heavy snow accumulation had obscured the site.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the crew departed from the flight path authorized by the company's FAA-approved operations specifications. This unauthorized route deviation caused the aircraft to operate within IFR weather conditions while traversing high-altitude mountainous terrain that lacked sufficient radio navigation aids.