1969 DC-3 "Gamblers Special" - Anyone remember it?

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Kris Widdison

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Kris Widdison
I just watched a documentary on the "Nevada Triangle" and the crash of Steve Fossett. One of the other incidents they covered extensively was the crash of the DC-3 into Mount Whitney on a return flight from Las Vegas to Burbank. I have flown that route hundreds of times in all kinds of weather and have never even seen Mount Whitney from that route, let alone come close to it. It is directly west of LAS while BUR is south. I cannot find any report about why they think the plane was in that area. Has anyone here ever heard about that flight? (I realize it was a long time ago but the discovery was recent - found during the search for Fossett).
 
The accident was caused by the deviation from the prescribed route of flight, as authorized in the company's FAA-approved operations specifications, resulting in the aircraft being operated under IFR weather conditions, in high mountainous terrain, in an area where there was a lack of radio navigation aids. The weather was also a contributing factor.

The aircraft was finally located on August 8, 1969.
 
Kris Widdison said:
I just watched a documentary on the "Nevada Triangle" and the crash of Steve Fossett. One of the other incidents they covered extensively was the crash of the DC-3 into Mount Whitney on a return flight from Las Vegas to Burbank. I have flown that route hundreds of times in all kinds of weather and have never even seen Mount Whitney from that route, let alone come close to it. It is directly west of LAS while BUR is south. I cannot find any report about why they think the plane was in that area. Has anyone here ever heard about that flight? (I realize it was a long time ago but the discovery was recent - found during the search for Fossett).
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http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR70-05.pdf
 
Kris Widdison said:
I just watched a documentary on the "Nevada Triangle" and the crash of Steve Fossett. One of the other incidents they covered extensively was the crash of the DC-3 into Mount Whitney on a return flight from Las Vegas to Burbank. I have flown that route hundreds of times in all kinds of weather and have never even seen Mount Whitney from that route, let alone come close to it. It is directly west of LAS while BUR is south. I cannot find any report about why they think the plane was in that area. Has anyone here ever heard about that flight? (I realize it was a long time ago but the discovery was recent - found during the search for Fossett).
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I hate to be pedantic, but the departure was from Hawthorne, over 300 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas. The flight path was supposed to travel south-southeast straight down the Owens Valley and past Mount Whitney, then bear south toward Palmdale.

Because of a headwind and IMC while flying VFR, the aircraft turned south before clearing Mount Whitney and crashed into a cliff face.
 
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OK, Thanks for the link. For some reason, my searches did not turn up this analysis. Now I can see that they were trying to fly on the west side of China Lake and Edwards rather than down the east side and then southwest which is how I always fly it. Then it became classic VFR-to-IMC followed by CFIT.
 
3393RP said:
I hate to be pedantic, but the departure was from Hawthorne, over 300 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas. The flight path was supposed to travel south-southeast straight down the Owens Valley and past Mount Whitney, then bear south toward Palmdale.

Because of a headwind and IMC while flying VFR, the aircraft turned south before clearing Mount Whitney and crashed into a cliff face.
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Oops. I read that as Henderson rather than Hawthorne. I guess that would make it more confusing...
 
There was a DC-9 that came into Boeing Field every day in the late 1960's. All you had to do was wave a hundred $$$ bill and head to your seat. They flew to Reno and brought you back that same evening.
 
kgruber said:
There was a DC-9 that came into Boeing Field every day in the late 1960's. All you had to do was wave a hundred $$$ bill and head to your seat. They flew to Reno and brought you back that same evening.
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Well, at least you had a ride home after you lost all your money. :D
 
I also used to fly 135 air taxi into Baron Hilton's ranch 100 miles east of Reno.

He flew in heavy rollers from his casinos to cool down.
 
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