Narrative:The US Navy R2D-1 transport plane impacted Mother Grundy Peak, a 3068 feet mountain, about 20 feet below the summit, killing all aboard. Visibility was poor at the time of the accident.
The aircraft operated on a transport flight from Big Spring, Texas to San Diego, California. On board were four crew members and seven passengers. Four of the passengers were crew members that had parachuted safely from a four-engined Navy patrol bomber that ran into trouble in Texas on January 2, 1941.
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Sources:
»
Eugene Register-Guard - Jan 6, 1941» Folha da Noite 6 January 1941, p17
» El Siglo de Torreón 6 January 1941, p3
»
Chicago Daily Tribune 6 Jan 1941» The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 - the first seventy years / J.M. Gradidge
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Big Spring-Webb AFB, TX to San Diego-North Island NAS, CA as the crow flies is 1463 km (914 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
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.