Investigation Summary
The flight was a transcontinental service that had experienced several changes before its final leg. In Albuquerque, actress Carole Lombard and her party successfully argued to remain on the aircraft after being asked to vacate seats for military personnel. A new crew also took over the flight at this stop. Due to a heavy passenger load and headwinds, the captain bypassed a planned refueling stop at Winslow, Arizona, opting to fly directly to Las Vegas. After refueling at Las Vegas, the aircraft departed on a moonless night. Investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) revealed that the first officer had written a magnetic course of 218 degrees on the flight plan in Albuquerque, which the captain failed to sign. This specific heading would have safely joined the airway if the flight had departed from Boulder City, a common TWA stop. However, from Las Vegas, this heading led directly into the Spring Mountain range. The crew failed to utilize the low-frequency radio range or the one operating airway beacon (Arden beacon 24) to verify their position, instead relying on the erroneous compass heading. The lack of visual references was exacerbated by wartime blackout conditions, which had extinguished most airway light beacons in the area.
Final Conclusions
The Civil Aeronautics Board concluded that the probable cause was the captain's failure to follow the proper course by making use of available navigational facilities after departing Las Vegas. Contributing factors included the use of an erroneous compass course, the wartime blackout of most airway beacons, and the failure to comply with a directive to remain strictly within on-course radio signals.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Low Frequency Radio Range
A ground-based navigation system that provided 'on-course' audio signals to pilots; the crew failed to use this system to stay within the designated airway.
Magnetic Compass
The primary instrument used for the erroneous 218 degree heading that led the aircraft into the mountains.
Wright R-1820 Cyclone
The radial engines powering the Douglas DC-3; one remains at the crash site as a memorial.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crash killed 15 members of the U.S. Army Air Corps who were traveling to California.
- 02The aircraft was flying at 8,000 feet, but the terrain on the flown heading rose to 8,500 feet.
- 03Wartime blackout regulations meant most airway beacons were turned off, reducing visual navigation options.
- 04The flight plan was not signed by the captain, violating TWA company policy.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Adherence to Radio Navigation
The investigation emphasized the necessity of following actual on-course radio signals rather than relying solely on compass headings, especially in proximity to high terrain.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Sabotage Allegations
Reference ↗In the book 'My Lunches with Orson', Orson Welles claimed a security agent told him the plane was shot down by Nazi agents, though no evidence has ever supported this claim.