Chicago – Minneapolis – Fargo – Bismarck – Miles City – Butte – Spokane – Seattle

On January 13, 1939 at 09:15 PM, Chicago – Minneapolis – Fargo – Bismarck – Miles City – Butte – Spokane – Seattle experienced a crash involving Lockheed 14 Super Electra, operated by Northwest Airlines, with the event recorded near Miles City Montana.

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

4 people were known to be on board, 4 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: 2, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft started the take-off to the northwest at 2114LT, leaving the ground at a point approximating the intersection of the two field run rays, and crossed the field boundary in a normal climb. After reaching an estimated altitude of 500 feet, the aircraft began a slow turn to the left, thick is the usual procedure in contacting the west leg of the Miles City radio range for the purpose of continuing flight to Billings, Montana. Shortly after starting the turn, the aircraft was seen to lose altitude rapidly and descend almost to the ground before the descent was checked, and the aircraft pulled up in a sharp climb to an altitude approximating that previously attained. Immediately thereafter, the aircraft turned sharply to the loft and descended rapidly, striking the ground in a ravine and headed in a southeasterly direction with its left tang and nose slightly down. The aircraft traveled for a distance of approximately 280 feet from the point of first contact with the ground, scattering fragments along its path, and came to rest on rising terrain, where it was entirely destroyed by fire at a point 2650 feet distant from the west boundary of the Miles City airport, and 1200 feet south of a projection of north boundary of the airport. The crash resulted in the death of all person aboard the aircraft. Crew: C. B. Chamberlain, pilot, R. B. Norby, copilot.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC17389, MSN 1408, year of manufacture 1938.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 46.4070°, -105.8478°.