Investigation Summary
Flight 8 departed San Francisco under good initial conditions, but soon encountered a massive weather front described as the most severe storm to hit the West Coast in 64 years. As the aircraft approached the Tehachapi Mountains, Captain John Graves reported ice accumulation on the wings. Air traffic controllers initially ordered a diversion to Los Angeles, but Graves elected to head for Fresno due to the local weather. The final radio transmission was a request for a weather update at 9:28 PM. Investigators later determined that a sharp, unknown increase in wind velocity and a change in direction pushed the DC-2 far to the north and east of its presumed track. The pilot likely believed he was south of his actual position. The aircraft struck Buena Vista Crest at an altitude near its reported cruising level while in a steep bank, suggesting the crew may have seen the terrain at the last moment. The search was initially focused 45 miles away near Huntington Lake based on a mistaken sighting, and was further complicated by a cruel hoax call claiming the plane had been found with survivors.
Final Conclusions
The Bureau of Air Commerce determined the probable cause was a combination of a sharp increase in wind velocity and change in direction unknown to the pilot, and the pilot's confusion regarding his position relative to the Fresno Radio Range station. These factors resulted in the aircraft flying over mountainous terrain at an altitude insufficient to clear the peaks.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Fresno Radio Range
A low-frequency radio navigation system that the pilot was using to determine his position; confusion regarding this station was cited as a contributing factor.
Wing De-icing
The pilot reported ice forming on the wings shortly before the disappearance, which influenced the decision to divert.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was TWA plane #327 AC-III, Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 1299, manufactured in 1935.
- 02The wreckage was found 32 miles northwest of the primary search area on June 12, 1938.
- 03The crash occurred approximately 200 feet below the summit of the mountain.
- 04Eight of the nine occupants were thrown from the aircraft upon impact.
- 05The storm at the time of the disappearance was the most severe on the West Coast in 64 years.
- 06Artifacts found decades later included a pilot cap belonging to a 'First Officer Salisbury'; however, official manifests confirm C. W. Wallace was the First Officer on this specific flight.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Bureau of Air Commerce Investigation
Following the discovery of the wreckage, the Secretary of Commerce appointed a special board to investigate the role of weather and radio navigation confusion, contributing to the era's evolving understanding of mountain wave effects and radio range limitations.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
The 1938 Search Hoax
Reference ↗On March 2, 1938, TWA received a telephone call falsely claiming the aircraft had been found 20 miles from Fresno with survivors. The call was denounced by TWA as one of the 'cruelest hoaxes ever perpetrated' and was denied by United Airlines, whose Fresno office was initially blamed for the message.