FlightFinder
Check my flight
50 fatalities

United Airlines Flight 610 Crash (N37543)

Fort Collins, United States of AmericaFlight

On June 30, 1951, a Douglas DC-6 (registration N37543) operated by United Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Fort Collins, United States of America in flight. 50 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was that, after passing Cheyenne, the flight for reasons undetermined failed to follow the prescribed route to Denver and continued beyond the boundary of the airway on a course which resulted in… This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 5 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

On June 30, 1951, United Airlines Flight 610 crashed into Mt. Crystal, Colorado, killing all 50 occupants after deviating from its prescribed route.

Flight Details and Departure United Airlines Flight 610 originated in San Francisco, California, and was scheduled to Chicago, Illinois, with en route stops including Oakland, California, Salt Lake City, Utah, and Denver, Colorado. The crew consisted of Captain J R Appleby, First Officer H G Tower, Flight Engineer A T Petrovitch, and Stewardesses C J Baymond and F M Smith. The flight departed San Francisco on schedule at 1915 on June 29, 1951, and arrived in Salt Lake City at 2324. It departed Salt Lake City at 0011 on June 30, 26 minutes behind schedule due to the reloading of bulky cargo. At the time of departure, the aircraft weighed 78,597 pounds, which was within the certificated gross take-off weight of 79,380 pounds, and the load was properly distributed with respect to the center of gravity. There were five crew members, forty-four adult passengers, and one infant on board.

Probable cause

The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was that, after passing Cheyenne, the flight for reasons undetermined failed to follow the prescribed route to Denver and continued beyond the boundary of the airway on a course which resulted in the aircraft striking mountainous terrain.
Controlled flight into terrain

Related events

Same operator

More accident analyses