ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-49-DO (DC-3) NC88872 Galax, VA
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 12 January 1947
Time:01:38
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-49-DO (DC-3)
Operator:Eastern Air Lines
Registration: NC88872
MSN: 3274
First flight: 1941
Total airframe hrs:7680
Engines: 2 Wright R-1820-G202A
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 16
Total:Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Galax, VA (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Akron/Canton Regional Airport, OH (CAK/KCAK), United States of America
Destination airport:Winston-Salem-Smith-Reynolds Airport, NC (INT/KINT), United States of America
Flightnumber:EA665
Narrative:
Against standard company procedure the flight continued direct to Winston-Salem instead of via the Greensboro range. A let-down was started without definitely establishing the position of the aircraft in relation to the Winston-Salem radio station. The DC-3 flew into the ground in rugged country 63 miles NW of Winston-Salem at an altitude of about 2500 feet.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The action of the pilot in attempting a let-down without having positively determined the position of the aircraft. A contributing factor was the erroneous navigation of the pilot which on at least two occasions led him to believe that he was farther south than he actually was"

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: CAB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» Air Britain Casualty compendium (pt. 45)
» CAB File No. 1-0005-47


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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 Akron/Canton Regional Airport, OH to Winston-Salem-Smith-Reynolds Airport, NC as the crow flies is 539 km (337 miles).

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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Douglas DC-3

  • ca 13.000 built
  • 2447th loss
  • 777th fatal accident
  • 106th worst accident (at the time)
  • 286th worst accident (currently)
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