Van Nuys – Cleveland

On September 2, 1929 at 12:00 AM, Van Nuys – Cleveland experienced a crash involving Lockheed 5 Vega, operated by Associated Aviators, with the event recorded near Needles California.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 50.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. En route from Van Nuys to Cleveland, the crew encountered stormy weather. In strong turbulences, the pilot lost control of the airplane that entered a dive. The mechanic was able to bail out before the aircraft crashed near Needles, east California. The wreckage was found three days later. The mechanic was found alive while the pilot was killed. Crew: John Wood, pilot, Ward Miller, mechanic.

Aircraft reference details include registration NR859E, MSN 67, year of manufacture 1929.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 34.8383°, -114.6039°.