New York-LaGuardia – Johnson City

On October 31, 1969 at 10:10 PM, New York-LaGuardia – Johnson City experienced a crash involving Rockwell 1121 Jet Commander, operated by The Pittston Company, with the event recorded near Rural Retreat Virginia.

The flight was categorized as executive/corporate/business and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is human factor. While in cruising altitude by night over Virginia, the airplane went out of control, entered a dive and crashed in a huge explosion in a field. The wreckage was found a day later and all three occupants were killed. The airplane was totally destroyed upon impact as it struck the ground in a 60° nose-down attitude at high speed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N236JP, MSN 1121-116, year of manufacture 1967.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 36.8937°, -81.2759°.