San Francisco – Burbank – New York

On December 1, 1944 at 02:58 AM, San Francisco – Burbank – New York experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-3, operated by Transcontinental %26 Western Air - TWA, with the event recorded near Burbank California.

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

23 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 15 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 34.8%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 20, passenger fatalities: 6, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The flight was cleared to Burbank Airport for a standard instrument approach. During the approach the plane descended under instrument conditions to such a low altitude as to clip the tree tops and strike a power line pole and then crash at a point approximately 6 1/2 miles short of the Burbank Airport. In a normal approach the plane would have flown over this point at an altitude of about 1650 feet above the ground. The specific reasons for the plane's descent below the minimums for instrument approach were not determinable, nor was it possible to tell whether the deviation was a voluntary one. Investigation did reveal, however, that a number of divisions were made from the company's standard Civil Aeronautics Administration approved procedures during this flight. Both pilots and six passengers were killed. Crew: John Pollard Snowden, pilot, † Thomas Leo Bamberger, copilot, † Donna Elizabeth Marr, hostess.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC17322, MSN 1968, year of manufacture 1937.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 34.1812°, -118.3072°.