ACCIDENT SYNOPSIS:
American Airlines Flight 6-103 was a domestic transcontinental flight that had originated in New York. After making several scheduled stops, the Douglas DC-3 "Flagship" departed Tucson, Arizona at 5:59 AM for it's final leg to San Diego, California. On board were 24 passengers and a crew of 3.
At 7:53 AM, the flight reported over El Centro, California at 8,000 feet in heavy overcast conditions. The weather in San Diego was not much better, with a 1,200 foot overcast of broken clouds. A clearance was given to the flight by company controllers in San Diego for the flight to maintain 8,000 feet, but the message was never acknowledged by the crew of Flight 6-103. For reasons unknown, Flight 6-103 began a premature decent from 8,000 feet into the rising terrain of the Laguna Range.
At 8:12 AM, the Douglas "Flagship" collided with eastern side of Thing Mountain with such force that persons nearby mistaken the crash impact for the sound of distant thunder. All 27 persons including two infants were killed. At the time, it was the worst air disaster in U.S. commercial aviation history.
Ironically, it would only be less than nine months when another airliner would join Flight 6-103 in a similar accident very close to this same location (see story).
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HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
American Airlines Flight 6-103 was a domestic transcontinental flight that had originated in New York. After making several scheduled stops, the Douglas DC-3 "Flagship" departed Tucson, Arizona at 5:59 AM for it's final leg to San Diego, California. On board were 24 passengers and a crew of 3.
At 7:53 AM, the flight reported over El Centro, California at 8,000 feet in heavy overcast conditions. The weather in San Diego was not much better, with a 1,200 foot overcast of broken clouds. A clearance was given to the flight by company controllers in San Diego for the flight to maintain 8,000 feet, but the message was never acknowledged by the crew of Flight 6-103. For reasons unknown, Flight 6-103 began a premature decent from 8,000 feet into the rising terrain of the Laguna Range.
At 8:12 AM, the Douglas "Flagship" collided with eastern side of Thing Mountain with such force that persons nearby mistaken the crash impact for the sound of distant thunder. All 27 persons including two infants were killed. At the time, it was the worst air disaster in U.S. commercial aviation history.
Ironically, it would only be less than nine months when another airliner would join Flight 6-103 in a similar accident very close to this same location (see story).
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HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
On March 3, 1946, American Airlines Flight 6-103 was operated by a Douglas DC-3-227B (NC21799) S/N: 2203.
The aircraft accumulated a total time of 16,322 hours since it's first flight in 1940. The aircraft had been in service with American Airlines since it's delivery from the Douglas Aircraft Company.
The aircraft accumulated a total time of 16,322 hours since it's first flight in 1940. The aircraft had been in service with American Airlines since it's delivery from the Douglas Aircraft Company.
Accident investigators and recovery crews sift through the burning wreckage of American Airlines Flight 6-103. (Courtesy of Brad Gray)
The human toll was so great that the story of the accident captured the headlines of every major newspaper.
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