On January 8, 1928, a Fairchild FC-2 (registration NC3780) operated by Colonial Western Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Rural Grove, United States of America in flight. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Collision with terrain caused by flying at low altitude to maintain visual contact with the ground during poor visibility. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A single-engine aircraft crashed into trees shortly after takeoff from Albany due to poor visibility, resulting in the deaths of all three occupants on board.
What happened
The incident occurred just minutes after departure from Albany. While traveling southwest of Amsterdam, the pilot faced reduced visibility caused by fog. To maintain visual contact with the terrain, the aircraft was flown at a low altitude. During this phase, the airframe struck treetops within Rural Grove State Forest and crashed.
Findings
The crash resulted in three fatalities, killing all individuals on board. The primary contributing factor identified was the decision to fly at low altitude to keep visual reference with the ground while operating in foggy conditions.
Probable cause
Collision with terrain caused by flying at low altitude to maintain visual contact with the ground during poor visibility.
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