Newark – Cleveland – Chicago – Oakland

On October 10, 1933 at 09:00 PM, Newark – Cleveland – Chicago – Oakland experienced a crash involving Boeing 247, operated by United Airlines, with the event recorded near Chesterton Indiana.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

7 people were known to be on board, 7 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The transcontinental flight, carrying three crew and four passengers, had originated in Newark, New Jersey, with its final destination in Oakland, California. It had already landed in Cleveland and was headed to its next stop in Chicago when it exploded en route. All aboard died in the crash, which was proven to have been deliberately caused by an on-board explosive device. Eyewitnesses on the ground reported hearing an explosion shortly after 2100LT, and saw the plane in flames at an altitude of about 1,000 feet (300 m). A second explosion followed after the plane crashed. The crash scene was adjacent to a gravel road about 5 miles (8 km) outside of Chesterton, centered in a wooded area on the Jackson Township farm of James Smiley. Pilot Captain Terrant, his co-pilot, flight attendant Alice Scribner and all four passengers were killed. Scribner was the first United flight attendant to be killed in a plane crash.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC13304, MSN 1685, year of manufacture 1933.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 41.6107°, -87.0523°.