Document
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTAl'IOM MINERAL COUNTY AIRLINES • • . b d . a . HAWTHORNE NEVADA AIRLINES, DC-3, N1S570 NEAR LONE PINE, CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 18, 1969 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Synopsis ..•••• ill ••••••••• •••••••• , • • ••••• • •••• • • ••• • .. • 1 • Probable Cause . •••••••• i ••••••••••••••••• •••••••• 'i • • • 1 1. Invest 19at ion . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . .... . .
1 . 1 His tory of the F l i ght •••••••••••••••••••• • ••••••••••• 1.2 3 Injur ies to Persons •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1.3 Damage to Aircraft- . . . . .. . . .. . . .. 41 • • .. ••• • ••• •• • • 3 .. . . . . .
1.4 Other Damago •••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••• 4 1.5 Crew Information . . ••••.••.•..••.••••.•.• •••.••••.•. - . . 4 1.6 Ai rcraft His tory ••••••••••••••• •••••••••••••••••••••• 4 1.1 Meteorological Information ••••••••• •••••••••••••••••• 5 ••••• • 1.8 Aids to N a v i g a t io n • •••••••••• 0 ••••••••••••••• 0 • 9 1.9 9 Comaa.tnications •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• t ••••• ,••• It 1.10 Aerodrome and Ground Facilities •••••••••••••••••••••• 1.11 Plight R ae " or de r s iIl •••••••••••• - ••• ", •• - , • It ••• ' I ••• I .... . • • • 9 1.12 Aircraft Wreckage . ••.•• I ••••••• I ••• I ••• • • ••••••••• ., • • 9 1.13 Fi re .. . . . . . . I • • • ••••••••• • • ••• • • • I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • 13 1.14 Survival A s p e c t s . •. ..•. . I • • • • I • • • • • • • • • • • • •• • • • • • • • • • 13 1.15 Company Information •••••••••• .; •• i • • •••••• •••• • •••• • • • 14 1.16 14 Search and Rescue ••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2. AnalYSiS and ConcluSions ••••• • • " ••••••••••••••••• 0. • • • 15 2.J. AnalySiS •.•• ,••••••••••• .•••••••••••.••• .-.. . ... . . .. .. 15 • 2.2 Conclusions . .•• I •••••••••••••••• t • •••••• , •• ',. • ••• • • • 19 • (l; Findings ..••••.•..•.••••••.•.•.• ,. I • • .. • ••• • • 19 • •• • (b) Probable Cause ••••••••••••••• 0 ••• • • • •• •• • • 20 3. Recommendat ions ..•.•.•...• t • ., •••••• -. • • •• • • • • • • ••• • • • • 20 Appendix A Appendix B Attachment 1 File No. 3-2594 NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFEn BOARD DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT • Adopted: February 4, 1970 = o UlNERAL COONTY AIRLINES, do b. a. HA�rrHORNE NEVADA Al RJ.lNES, DC-), N15570 NEAR LONE PINE, CALIFORNIA F EBRUARY 18, 1969 SYN OPSIS A Hawthorne Ne'lada Airlines (NEVT), DC-3, N15570, operating 4S Flight 708, crashed approximately 11 nautical &i1es west of Lone Pine, California, about 0510 Pos.t., Febru1ry 18, 1969. The 32 paasengers and three crewmGrobers aboard the aircraft died in the accident, and the aircraft was destroyed.
The f.1ight d eparted Hawthorne, Nevada, 0350 P.s.t., on February 18, 1969, on a "FR flight phn for Burbank and Long Beach, California. At 0406, Flight 708 c.ontacted the Tonopah Flight Service Station on the Mina VOR frequency and cil.tivated a VFR f li�ht plan which had previously been filed by telephone from Hawthorne, Nevada. No further contact was had with the flight. The aircraft was declared miSSing, and presumed down somewhere between Hawthorne, Nevada, and Burbank, California. Air and ground search operations were instituted, but due to heavy snowS and inclement weather, the aircraft was not located. The crash Site, approximately 11 nautical miles west of Lone Pine, California, was located A u g u s t 8, 1969. The aircraft crashed on the east slope of Mount Whitney, at an elevation of approxilllately 11,170 feet. All persons aircraft perished in the impact.
on board the The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the deviation from the prescribed route of flight, as authorized in the company's FAA-approved operations specifications, resulting in the air • craft being operated under IFR weather conditions, in high mountainous terrain. 1n an area where there was a lack of radio navigation aids.
- 2 - 1. .!ID!¥.STlGATION 1.1 History of the Flight Hawthorne Nevada Airlines (NKVT) operated a daily round trip from stop at Long Beach, California (LCB), to Hawthorne, Nevada (HTH), with a Burbank, California (BUR). On weekdays, the flight was scheduled t" depart LCB at 1830 P.s.t., 1/ and depart HTH at 0400 P.s.t. the follow ing morning for the return trip.
N15570, a DC-3, operating as Flight 708, departed LCB and BUR, as scheduled, with 32 passengers and j c r ew of three, and arrived at HT" at approximately 2040, February 17, 1969. After arrival at the airport, the passengers and stewardess were transported by bus to a lodge in Ha�thorne, a distance of 1 mile. The captain and first officer utilized a company car t o reach the lodge.
The captain and fir$t officer checked into their rooms at the lodga at approximately il15. The stewardess, after tending to the passengers, checked into her room Some 15 minutes later. None of the crew Visited the caSino, associated with the lodge, during the layover.
While at HTH, the aircraft was serviced with 200 gallons of 100- octane g as.
Approximately 0300, February 18, 1969, the flightcrew entered the restaurant at the casino. The first officer then went to the telephone to check weather and file the clearance for the return flight.
At approximately 0305, the first officer �elephoned the Tonopah (TPH) Flight Service Station (PS8). After rece1ving the weather briefing, which included AIRMET Alpha 2 and the area forecast, h e filed the follow ing flight plan: Flight 708, OC-3, V i s ua l Flight Rules (VI'R) direct Hawthorne to Burbank, Altituda·U,500 feet, Ticne en route 2 plus 151/.
fuel on b oard 3 plus 40, Pilot Hamer, Aircraft color" Blue and white, Estimated off the ground llSOZ 1./.
Approximately 0335, the bus departed the casino with the passengers and stewardess for the return trip to the airport. The captain and first officer had departed eatlier by company car to make the aircraft ready for the return fHght.
1/ All UmeS are Pacific stanllard. based on the 24-hour clock unless otherwise specified.
2/ 2 plus 15--2 hours and 15 ninutes.
11 1150Z--Greenwich mean time. For purpose of clarity and simpli¢ity.
all departure times, estimated times of arrivals, and times used on official communications with around radio facilities are given in Greenwich mean time or Zulu time. This time Is 8 hours later than Pacific standard t i me .
·3- Directly after takeoff a witness reported seeing the aircraft circle the field once while climbing for altitude.
At 0406, while in flight. the cre" contacted the TOMpah Fl1tht Service Station, util1zing the Mina VOR frequency, ilnd requested that
t heir flight plan be open�d, !I and stated that their actual takeoff time
• was 0350. No further contact of any nature was made with the flight.
An extensive ground and air search was launched after the aircraft • was declared missing. Due to heavy snow accunllations on the ground, low clouds throughout the search period, and extremely hazardous terrain, thedrcraft was not located until August 8, 1969.
Pursuant to the approved op�rating specifications issued by the FAA, the only authorized route the company could fly while operating subject to a VFR clearance was aq follows: From HTH direct to the intersection of Victor Airway 105 (Vl05) and the 2400 radial (240R) of �na (HYA) VOR 5/ VlOS to Beatty (STY) VTAC 6/ BTY VTAe direct Inyokern Airport, CaHfornia Inyokern Airport direct Palmdale (PHD) VTAe PHD VTAe via Federal Airways to BUR The aircraft wreckage was located on the east slope of Mount Whitney, approximately 11 nautical miles (NH) weat of Lone Pine, California. The impact had or.curred on the face of a near vortical cliff �t an elevation of about 11,710 feot m.s.1. The main body of the wreCkall.3 was situated near the base of the cliff at latitude 36°35 t 45" N., IO'08itude 118015 t 5 2 " W.
There were no survl-vors.
1.2 Inturies to Persons Injuries Crew Passengers Others Fatal 3 32 o Nonfatal 0 0 o None 0 0 o 1.3 Damage to Aircraft • The aircraft was destroyed by impact and subsequent fire.
• Aircraft is in the air and the crew requ�sts that the flight plan
!I
which was previously filed be activated.
�I VOR-VHF Omnidirectional Range.
6/ YTAC-Combination voa and TACAN civil facility providing both - atimuthand distance information.