78 Years ago today: On 23 February 1945 an American Airlines Douglas DC-3-277 flew into a mountain near Rural Retreat, VA; killing 17 of the 22 occupants.
| Date: | Friday 23 February 1945 |
| Time: | 02:25 |
| Type: | Douglas DC-3-277 |
| Operator: | American Airlines |
| Registration: | NC18142 |
| MSN: | 2138 |
| First flight: | 1939 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 17296 |
| Engines: | 2 Wright R-1820-G102 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 19 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 22 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 9 km (5.6 mls) SW of Rural Retreat, VA ( |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA/KDCA), United States of America |
| Destination airport: | Nashville-Berry Field, TN (BNA/KBNA), United States of America |
| Flightnumber: | 9 |
Narrative:
American Airlines Flight 3 en route from New York to Los Angeles departed at 21:39 on February 22, 1945. Departure from Washington had been at 00:11 on February 23. The last radio message from the flight was at 02:05 at 4,000 feet over Pulaski, Virginia. The DC-3 continued, passing through rain and clouds and encountering considerable turbulence. The airplane flew over mountainous terrain and struck the wooded summit of Glade Mountain at approx 3910 feet amsl.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: “The pilot’s failure to properly plan the flight and remain at a safe instrument altitude under existing conditions. A contributing cause of the accident was the company’s laxity in dispatching and supervising the flight.”
