Narrative:
The Douglas C-47 was destroyed when it struck terrain near Placitas, NM. The airplane had departed Wichita, KS on a cargo flight to Long Beach, CA and Los Angeles, CA. Poor weather en route to Long Beach forced the crew to divert to Albuquerque. The pilot descended in order to maintain visual contact with the ground. The flight encountered snow showers and strong vertical winds. It struck the crest of a mountain and crashed. Survivors were rescued after three days.
| Status: | |
| Date: | Thursday 16 November 1944 |
| Time: | 13:30 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-47B-15-DK (DC-3) |
| Operator: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
| Registration: | 43-49365 |
| MSN: | 26626/15181 |
| First flight: | 1944 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C |
| Crew: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 12 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 8 km (5 mls) S of Placitas, NM ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Wichita (unknown airport), KS, United States of America |
| Long Beach Municipal Airport, CA (LGB/KLGB), United States of America |
The Douglas C-47 was destroyed when it struck terrain near Placitas, NM. The airplane had departed Wichita, KS on a cargo flight to Long Beach, CA and Los Angeles, CA. Poor weather en route to Long Beach forced the crew to divert to Albuquerque. The pilot descended in order to maintain visual contact with the ground. The flight encountered snow showers and strong vertical winds. It struck the crest of a mountain and crashed. Survivors were rescued after three days.
Sources:
» Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945, Vol. 3: August 1944-December 1945 / Anthony J. MirelesPhotos
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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