Hughes Airwest Flight 706, a DC-9, was to fly from Los Angeles, CA (LAX) to Seattle, WA (SEA) with intermediate stops at Salt Lake City (SLC), Boise (BOI), Lewiston (LWS), Pasco (PSC) and Yakima (YKM). The aircraft departed Los Angeles at 18:02. At 18:09 the crew reported leaving 12,000 feet and Los Angeles ARTCC cleared them direct to Daggett.
At 17:16, a US Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom Bu# 151458 departed Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Fallon for a flight to MCAS El Toro at low altitude. The aircraft had several technical difficulties, including an inoperative transponder and a leak in the oxygen system.
Due to deteriorating visibility northwest of Palmdale, the crew climbed to 15,500 feet. Shortly after level-off, aircraft was 50 miles from MCAS El Toro. The pilot executed a 360° aileron roll at this time, which took approximately three seconds to complete. The Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) estimated that the true airspeed in the climb and after level-off was 420 knots.
At 15,150 feet, the F-4B collided with the Airwest DC-9 about one minute and twenty seconds after the roll. After the collision, the F-4 began to tumble violently about the lateral axis. The RIO waited about 5 seconds and after seeing numerous warning lights in the cockpit, ejected from the aircraft. The ejection was successful and he parachuted to the ground without injury. The F-4B pilot did not survive the accident.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The failure of both crews to see and avoid each other but it is recognized that they had only marginal capability to detect, assess, and avoid the collision. Other causal factors include a very high closure rate, comingling of IFR and VFR traffic in an area where the limitation of the ATC system precludes effective separation of such traffic, and failure of the crew of BuNo458 to request radar advisory service, particularly considering the fact that they had an inoperable transponder."
At 17:16, a US Marine Corps McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom Bu# 151458 departed Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Fallon for a flight to MCAS El Toro at low altitude. The aircraft had several technical difficulties, including an inoperative transponder and a leak in the oxygen system.
Due to deteriorating visibility northwest of Palmdale, the crew climbed to 15,500 feet. Shortly after level-off, aircraft was 50 miles from MCAS El Toro. The pilot executed a 360° aileron roll at this time, which took approximately three seconds to complete. The Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) estimated that the true airspeed in the climb and after level-off was 420 knots.
At 15,150 feet, the F-4B collided with the Airwest DC-9 about one minute and twenty seconds after the roll. After the collision, the F-4 began to tumble violently about the lateral axis. The RIO waited about 5 seconds and after seeing numerous warning lights in the cockpit, ejected from the aircraft. The ejection was successful and he parachuted to the ground without injury. The F-4B pilot did not survive the accident.
PROBABLE CAUSE: The failure of both crews to see and avoid each other but it is recognized that they had only marginal capability to detect, assess, and avoid the collision. Other causal factors include a very high closure rate, comingling of IFR and VFR traffic in an area where the limitation of the ATC system precludes effective separation of such traffic, and failure of the crew of BuNo458 to request radar advisory service, particularly considering the fact that they had an inoperable transponder."
This was my first view of the AirWest DC-9 wreckage when I discovered the tail section in 1986 during some low passes through Fish Canyon.
Initially I thought I had found the main impact site, but I would later learn some ten years later that the tail section was deposited in this canyon nearly a quarter mile away after an unsucessful attempt to sling load it from the crash site.
Initially I thought I had found the main impact site, but I would later learn some ten years later that the tail section was deposited in this canyon nearly a quarter mile away after an unsucessful attempt to sling load it from the crash site.
An early attempt in the days before GPS, this was my plan to mark the location of the DC-9 tail section in 1987.
The plan was to air drop these three 5 pound flour bags on the site and mark it with the powdered flour. I would then hike in and see the flour and hopefully the tail section nearby.
It was a failure since the bags of flour would impact the tops of the pine trees and not leave a trace.
Oh well, you never know till you try.
The plan was to air drop these three 5 pound flour bags on the site and mark it with the powdered flour. I would then hike in and see the flour and hopefully the tail section nearby.
It was a failure since the bags of flour would impact the tops of the pine trees and not leave a trace.
Oh well, you never know till you try.
Nearly six years after my first discovery of the DC-9 tail section, I returned in a rented Cessna 172 very determined to find a hiking route to it.
A precise determination of the tail section's position was important due to the dense vegetation.
We had to cut our way down the 50-60 degree slopes to reach both the tail section location.
We encountered Poison Oak, Rattlesnakes, and Ticks on our way into the tail section site. Couger, Mountain Lion, and Bear also inhabit the area.
Finally after hours hacking our way through the vegetation we reached the remains of the tail section.
The DC-9 tail rested on a steep 60 degree slope and would occasionally move as we worked our way around it.
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