Salt Lake City – Las Vegas – Burbank – Long Beach – San Diego

On January 12, 1937 at 11:07 AM, Salt Lake City – Las Vegas – Burbank – Long Beach – San Diego experienced a crash involving Boeing 247, operated by Western Air Express, with the event recorded near Newhall California.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

13 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 8 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 38.5%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 10, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While overflying Saugus at 5,200 feet, aircraft was already 300 feet to low. Pilot tried to contact ATC without any success. Due to low visibility caused by foggy conditions, pilot did not realize he was flying at an insufficient altitude. In a descent rate of 525 feet per minute, the twin engine aircraft hit the Pinetos Peak located near Newhall, north of Burbank. The copilot and four passengers, among them the explorer Martin Johnson, were killed. Crew: William W. Lewis, pilot, Clifford P. Owens, copilot, † Esther Jo Conner, stewardess.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC13315, MSN 1696, year of manufacture 1935.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 34.3799°, -118.5292°.