Los Angeles – San Francisco – Oakland

On April 20, 1953 at 11:08 PM, Los Angeles – San Francisco – Oakland experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-6, operated by Western Airlines, with the event recorded near Oakland California.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 80.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 5, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The four engine aircraft left San Francisco Airport at 2305LT on a VFR flight to Oakland, distant of 10 miles. At this time, weather conditions were considered as good. On approach to Oakland runway 27R, the pilot-in-command descended below the minimum safe altitude of 500 feet when the aircraft hit the water, exploded and sank into the Bay of Oakland. A stewardess and a passenger were rescued while eight other occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N91303, MSN 43823, year of manufacture 1952.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 37.8045°, -122.2714°.