What happened
On January 17, 1963, a Douglas DC-3, registration N 2703, was conducting a pilot training mission for West Coast Airlines near Salt Lake City Municipal Airport. The flight was intended to transition a company captain to the F-27 aircraft type. On board were an instructor pilot, a trainee captain, and an FAA inspector.
After arriving from Seattle via several intermediate stops, the aircraft completed its turnaround servicing and departed the airport ramp at approximately 1506. The flight was planned as a local VFR operation with an expected duration of 90 minutes. Following takeoff at 1510, the crew performed a practice landing in the traffic pattern, which was completed at 1517.
A second takeoff occurred at 1522. Shortly thereafter, the crew of another aircraft observed N 2703 at an altitude of roughly 8,000 feet, noting that the left propeller appeared to be feathered as the plane flew near Antelope Island. A ground controller later observed the aircraft flying level at approximately 8,000 feet, heading east over Salt Lake City before turning west-northwest.
At approximately 1550, a witness on the southeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake observed the aircraft descending at about 3,000 feet on a northwesterly path. The observer noted that the plane appeared to descend directly into the lake. Following the flight's failure to report in, search efforts began. On January 18, 1963, wreckage and one body were discovered floating in the Great Salt Lake, with the remaining two occupants recovered the following morning. There were 3 fatalities.
Findings
The investigation determined that the crew failed to maintain necessary vigilance during a simulated emergency descent, which led to the impact with the water.