Salt Lake City – Las Vegas – Burbank

On December 15, 1942 at 01:22 AM, Salt Lake City – Las Vegas – Burbank experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-3, operated by Western Airlines, with the event recorded near Fairfield Utah.

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

19 people were known to be on board, 17 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 89.5%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 15, passenger fatalities: 13, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While cruising at the assigned altitude of 10,000 feet, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located near Fairfield, Utah. The rescuers arrived on the scene around 1125LT and were able to evacuate two passengers seriously injured while 17 other occupants were killed. It appears that the aircraft reached a wrong attitude and lost part of its wings and stabilizer prior to be out of control. Crew: Edward John Loeffler, pilot, James Clifton Lee, copilot, Douglas Mortimer Soule, copilot, Cleo Lorraine Booth, stewardess.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC16060, MSN 1900, year of manufacture 1936.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 40.2622°, -112.0930°.