What happened
During a nighttime cargo operation traveling from Los Angeles toward Chicago, an aircraft struck the southern side of California Peak. The incident occurred while the plane was maintaining a cruising altitude of 13,000 feet. The impact took place on the mountain, which reaches an elevation of 13,849 feet, situated approximately 21 miles northeast of Alamosa, Colorado.
Search efforts located the wreckage one day after the event, finding it positioned roughly 150 feet below the summit of the peak. The accident resulted in three fatalities, as all members of the crew perished in the crash.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the flight crew did not adjust their path over the Alamosa VORTAC to align with the established flight plan. Specifically, the crew failed to execute a turn onto the VA10 route for reasons that remain unidentified.