C I V I LA E R O N A U T I C SB O A R D
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT
WESTERN AIR LINES, INC., DC-6B, SAN FRANCISCO BAY, CALIFORNIA,
APRIL 20, 1953
The Accident
Western Air Lines' Flight 636, a Douglas DC-6B, N 91303, crashed in San Francisco Bay approximately midway between San Francisco International Airport and Oakland Municipal Airport at about 2308 PST[1], April 20, 1953. Two of the 10 occupants, a stewardess and a male passenger, survived. The aircraft was demolished and sank.
History of the Flight
Flight 636 originated in Los Angeles for Oakland, California, with an intermediate scheduled stop at San Francisco, California. Captain Robert E. Clark, First Officer Robert C. Jacobson, Flight Engineer Robert R. League and Stewardesses Barbara Brew and Beverlee Nelson comprised the crew. There were 35 passengers upon departure from Los Angeles and 2,165 gallons of fuel. The gross weight was 83,952 pounds, 3,925 pounds less than the allowable maximum, and the load was properly distributed with respect to the center of gravity of the aircraft.
Weather conditions over the route Los Angeles-San Francisco-Oakland were well above prescribed minima and forecast to remain so for the duration of the flight. A flight plan was filed with Air Route Traffic Control at Los Angeles, and the flight was cleared on an Instrument Flight Rules flight plan from Los Angeles to San Francisco via Airways Amber 8, Victor 27, Victor 25 and Blue 54, to cruise at 13,000 feet MSL. Elapsed time to San Francisco was estimated as one hour and 30 minutes. Visual Flight Rules were specified for the San Francisco-Oakland segment. Oakland and Sacramento were chosen as alternate airports for San Francisco.
Departure from Los Angeles was at 2100. The flight proceeded in a routine manner at its assigned altitude arriving at San Francisco at 2240.
Thirty passengers deplaned, five remained aboard for Oakland and no other passengers boarded. During the stop at San Francisco, a walk-around inspection of the aircraft was performed by the flight engineer and a Western Air Lines mechanic; it revealed no discrepancies. Fuel aboard was 1700 gallons; none was added nor was maintenance accomplished at San Francisco.
The weather observations for the San Francisco Bay area at around the time of takeoff from San Francisco were:
- ↑ All times herein are Pacific Standard and are based on the 24-hour clock.
