What happened
On the morning of May 7, 1964, a Fairchild F-27, registered as N2770R, was performing a scheduled flight from Reno, Nevada, to San Francisco, California. While operating as Pacific Air Lines Flight 773, the aircraft was approximately 26 nautical miles away from its destination when it vanished from radar tracking at Oakland Approach Control.
Shortly before the aircraft disappeared from the controller's scope, a distress transmission was received. The message, transmitted by the copilot, indicated that the crew had been shot. The impact of the crash resulted in 44 fatalities, including all 41 passengers and the three crew members on board. The aircraft was completely destroyed upon hitting the ground near San Ramon, California.
Findings
Investigation of the wreckage revealed a .357 Smith and Wesson Magnum revolver belonging to a passenger. This weapon contained six spent shell casings, indicating it had been discharged during the flight. Investigators concluded that the crew members were shot by a passenger during the final stages of the flight.