Los Angeles - Los Angeles

On June 29, 1953 at 05:26 PM, Los Angeles - Los Angeles experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-3, operated by Western Airlines, with the event recorded near Los Angeles California.

The flight was categorized as test and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 33.3%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The airplane was cleared by the tower at 1723 for takeoff on Runway 25R, for a local VFR flight. On takeoff run at 1725, just when becoming airborne, and near the intersection of Runway 25R with Runway 22-4, it appeared that control of the aircraft had been lost. The right wing dropped and shortly struck the ground. The aircraft was then 15-20 feet high and the right wing remained down and the tail rose. It then veered to the right of the runway cartwheeled over its nose, and came to rest upside down. Fire broke out a few seconds later in the forward portion of the fuselage. Captain Johnson received minor injuries, Copilot Williams was seriously burned, and Company Chief Inspector Stromisky, sitting in the jump seat, was killed. Tower personnel had alerted emergency equipment when the aircraft first appeared to be in trouble, and fire apparatus arrived at the scene within a few minutes and extinguished the fire. The gross weight of the aircraft at the time of takeoff was 21,203 pounds, well below the prescribed maximum of 25,346 pounds, which was distributed within the approved C. G. limits. Weather at the time and place was good, with unlimited ceiling and visibility and a southwest wind at 10 mph.

Aircraft reference details include registration N15569, MSN 4887, year of manufacture 1942.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 34.0587°, -118.4165°.