New York – Washington DC – Nashville – Los Angeles

On February 23, 1945 at 02:25 AM, New York – Washington DC – Nashville – Los Angeles experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-3, operated by American Airlines, with the event recorded near Rural Retreat Virginia.

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

22 people were known to be on board, 17 fatalities were recorded, 5 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 77.3%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 19, passenger fatalities: 15, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft left Washington DC Airport at 0011LT bound for Nashville, continued to the southwest at an altitude of 4,000 feet. While cruising in poor weather conditions due to turbulence and rain falls, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the slope of Mt Glade located 5,6 miles southwest of Rural Retreat. Rescue teams arrived on the scene some four hours later. The stewardess and four passengers were seriously injured and evacuated to local hospitals while all 17 other occupants, among them both pilots, were killed. Crew: James E. Stroud, pilot, † Robert E. Brigman, copilot, † Sarah Worley Padgett, stewardess.

Aircraft reference details include registration NC18142, MSN 2138, year of manufacture 1939.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 36.8937°, -81.2759°.