What happened
The Douglas DC-3 was operating a commercial flight from New York to Los Angeles with intermediate stops. At the time of the incident, the aircraft carried 19 passengers and three crew members. Approximately fifteen minutes after departing Las Vegas-McCarran Airport, the plane struck the slope of Mt Potosi while leveling off at night. The impact occurred 51 km southwest of Las Vegas, resulting in the disintegration of the airframe and the death of all 22 occupants on board.
At the moment of impact, the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 7,700 feet, whereas the summit of the mountain stood at approximately 8,500 feet. Visibility conditions were limited during this phase of flight. The victims included prominent public figures and crew members, though specific names are omitted in accordance with privacy guidelines for private individuals.
Findings
The investigation board determined that the failure to follow the proper course after departure was the primary cause of the accident. Several contributing factors were identified:
- The pilot utilized an erroneous compass course.
- Most navigation beacons in the vicinity of the accident site were non-functional or obscured.
- The crew did not adhere to a TWA directive from July 17, 1941, which required pilots to restrict their flight movements to actual on-course signals as suggested by the Administrator of Civil Aeronautics.