Transocean Air Lines Flight 942 was a military charter flight operated by Transocean Air Lines. Soldiers commonly used Transocean aircraft for needed travel. The flight was chartered to transfer military personnel for a rotation from New Mexico to Guam. No weather problems were predicted, yet multiple weather systems were spotted in California. At 12:11 MST on March 20, 1953, the flight departed from Roswell, New Mexico, to Oakland, California. The flight was normal at first, but disappeared from radar at 18:36 PST. Two minutes later, the aircraft, a Douglas DC-4, crashed in a barley field on Oakland, California, killing all 35 people occupants.
Rescue services attempted to transport the victims to hospitals, but delayed efforts due to poor road conditions in the area. Six survivors were rescued, but ultimately died at Fairmont Hospital. As there were no survivors, ambulances carried the bodies to the Parks Air Force Base for identification that continued beyond the clearing of the crash site. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) commenced its investigation of the crash on March 21. Parts were arranged in a manner to replicate the aircraft. The investigation concluded that the probable crash reason was due to lack of control for unknown reasons; weather problems caused ice to form in the aircraft contributing to the crash.
Background
The flight was chartered to transfer military personnel for a rotation under Transocean Air Lines' contract with the United States Department of Defense, specifically the 509th Bombardment Wing, from Walker Air Force Base in New Mexico to the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Since aircraft that were used to fly the personnel were unavailable, the wing chartered an aircraft to transport them.[1] Transocean aircraft were commonly used by military teams.[2] The 830th Bombardment Squadron was responsible for providing aircrew and aircraft, while other squadrons contributed to flight plans and passenger lists. The movement progressed until March 20, when more aircraft were planned to depart, including a C-97 and two DC-4s over the course of the day.[1]
Accident
Before departure, a Defense Visual Flight Rules plan was approved by the Air Route Traffic Control, indicating that the flight should hover at an altitude of at least 500 feet (150 metres) in Red Airway 88 to Albuquerque, New Mexico; Green Airway 4 to Palmdale, California; Blue Airway 14 and Amber Airway 1 to Bakersfield, California; and Blue Airway 10 to Oakland, California.[3]:1 On the morning of the flight, a low-pressure center formed in southwestern Montana while a cold front was moving in an easterly direction at the southwestern portion of California. Other weather systems, including an occluded front, began moving to northwestern California. Although no severe weather was forecasted in the area near Oakland, the weather systems resulted in additional turbulence.[3]:5
At 12:11 MST on March 20, 1953, the flight departed from Roswell, New Mexico, for Oakland, California. The trip was expected to take six hours and 35 minutes, with sufficient fuel for 10 hours. The weight of the aircraft at the time of takeoff was 63,817 pounds (28,947 kilograms), with an allowable gross weight of 73,000lb (33,000kg). After takeoff, the flight was routine. At 14:51 MST, near Winslow, the aircraft changed to instrument flight rules. At 17:32 PST, the flight reported that it was within the vicinity of Fresno, with an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,400m). Subsequently, at 17:44 PST, still over Fresno, the flight reported to a local communications center that it was at an altitude of 7,000ft (2,100m), descending from its previous altitude at 17:30 PST.[3]:1
The Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, where the aircraft was supposed to land.
Upon approaching Evergreen at 18:09 PST, the flight was told to maintain altitude at 8,000ft (2,400m) over Newark. The crew requested to descend to 7,000ft (2,100m) at 18:10 PST; the request was denied due to heavy air traffic at that altitude. The aircraft held its altitude for 11 minutes. Subsequently, the Oakland Approach Control cleared the flight for a straight-in range approach while descending in a holding pattern to cross the Newark compass locator at 3,500ft (1,100m). The approach control also told the flight crew to report descending each 1,000ft (300m). At 18:30 PST, the aircraft started descending and reached 3,500ft (1,100m) at 18:36 PST. This was the last known interaction with the aircraft before it crashed.[4][3]:2
Two minutes later, at 18:38 PST, the aircraft was found to have crashed in a flat barley field 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) northeast of Alvarado.[3]:2 The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported that the aircraft crashed after being cleared for a landing at the Oakland Airport. Eyewitnesses saw the aircraft crash into a hill in drizzling rain.[5] Some witnesses saw ice chunks adhering to parts of the aircraft.[6] The investigation showed that it had crashed on its right wingtip first, with a vertically inclined position. The aircraft flipped over multiple times and disintegrated. Debris was scattered over an 800ft (240m) long area and a 300ft (91m) wide area. The impact force as well as the resulting fire caused the aircraft to break into pieces; most were destroyed by the fire. Only two major parts of the aircraft remained: a part of the left wing that was found 634ft (193m) from the accident and a fuselage center section.[3]:2
Aftermath
The first civilians to come near the scene of the accident said that they could see bodies in the rear of the aircraft.[7] Rescue services subsequently went to the crash site. Personnel could see bodies burning within the partially intact fuselage. Rescuers sent victims to a nearby hospital, but poor roads in the area hampered efforts.[8] Fire equipment was provided by two witnesses, helping in extinguishing the fire and rescuing six survivors. Mud blocked the ambulances, requiring tractors to free them. The victims were taken to Fairmont Hospital, where they were pronounced dead shortly after. Alameda County sheriffs and air police from Parks Air Force Base continued recovering bodies inside the aircraft while Transocean Air Lines President Orvis Nelson and Executive Vice President Sam Wilson stayed at the crash scene.[6] Ambulances came from four East Bay hospitals.[2] All 35 people on board died.[9] As there were no survivors, ambulances carried the bodies to the Parks Air Force Base for identification.[7] Rumors spread that the aircraft was carrying "secret cargo", but these claims were denied by the United States Air Force.[10] Responders continued identifying victims after the crash site was cleared[11] as newspapers around the country shared information about the accident. In New Mexico, funeral services were held for the fatalities. Since the men were not killed in battle, they were, in turn, not included in Korean War casualty lists.[1]
Aircraft, passengers, and crew
Douglas DC-4 model
The aircraft was a Douglas DC-4, with the serial number 36076 and the tail number N88942;[3]:1 it had a total of 5,976 airframe hours.[12] The aircraft was leased from the United States Air Force and was operated by Transocean Air Lines through a contract with the Military Air Transport Service and was certificated by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA).[6] The aircraft was equipped with Pratt & Whitney R-2000-4 engines and Hamilton Standard propellers.[3]:11
The flight carried 30 passengers and five crew members, amounting to 35 occupants. The crew comprised Chief Pilot Harvey Rodgers,[13] First Officer Frederick W. Patchett, Captain Herman E. Hum, and stewardesses Velma I. Sandridge and Lucille M. Chapman.[3]:1 Chief Rodgers had "considerable" flying experience according to the CAB; his associates added that he strictly adhered to airline regulations and recommended that other crews do the same.[3]:5
Investigation
On March 20, the CAB was notified of the incident.[3]:10 The investigation commenced on March 21 by Earle Mitchell, the head of the Oakland office of the CAB assisted by experts from Southern California. In a preliminary investigation, authorities disregarded the chance of the crash being caused by icing, reporting that the pilot had experience with de-icing problems. However, the United States Weather Bureau announced that the freezing level was at 4,855ft (1,480m) less than half an hour after the crash.[6] As the investigation continued, conflicting stories and accounts were told by representatives of Transocean Air Lines, aircraft operators, and the Oakland Approach Control. All accounts were studied.[14] On April 16 and 17, a public hearing hosted by the board was held in the Leamington Hotel, Oakland.[3]:10 Parts were examined by the CAB, with structural components sorted in a manner that reproduced the possible location the parts were placed in the aircraft. After careful consideration, no evidence of mechanical failure was found.[3]:2 The CAA said that the pilot did not indicate trouble when he contacted the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.[15] Radio records showed no indication that the pilot knew the aircraft was in danger.[16]
The aircraft was not found to have struck any object. The right aileron trim tab was placed in a neutral position, while the pilot's aileron trim tab was placed in an extreme down position. The left aileron separated into two sections. The vertical stabilizer was fine, yet the right and left stabilizers and the elevator and elevator surface were damaged. Both wing fillets and lower fuselage compartment doors were accounted for, indicating that neither had not been opened. The wheel mechanism was found to be immovable; due to major damage to the aircraft, the investigation could not determine if the de-icing system was used during the flight. Analysis of the landing gear system showed that it was retracted during impact. All carbon dioxide bottles were found unused. The four propellers from the engines were found on the ground. Analysis of the engines found that they did not malfunction prior to impact.[3]:3–4
The investigation reported that numerous eyewitnesses first spotted the aircraft 1mi (1.6km) southwest of the crash site beneath the clouds with no unusual noises heard, such as a runway propeller or backfiring. Pilots flying near the crash site shortly before and after the incident reported mild turbulence and light icing. One pilot flying above Newark at 8,000ft (2,400m), 35 minutes before the accident, reported severe icing problems; the ice began to melt during the descent when the altitude was 4,500ft (1,400m).[3]:5 All CAA ground facilities were operating normally at the time of the incident. During the flight's peak altitude at 8,000ft (2,400m), no radio contact was made, indicating that the crew had not encountered any problems. Ice accumulating in the aircraft was expected to melt at an altitude of 5,000ft (1,500m).[3]:6 The aircraft was not reported to have experienced any difficulties in the last radio contact at an altitude of 3,500ft (1,100m). Reports indicate that the aircraft became uncontrollable after the last radio contact for unknown reasons. Two witnesses reported that the aircraft banked sharply to the right before crashing.[3]:7
The investigation finished with the findings that the airline, the aircraft, and the crew were properly certificated; numerous weather problems arose, including icing, which may have caused the aircraft to become uncontrollable; witnesses saw the aircraft strike the ground; no warnings were issued prior to impact; and all ground navigational facilities were operating normally, and no malfunction of the aircraft's control systems was found during the flight. The probable cause of the crash was loss of control for unknown reasons.[3]:8–9
↑"Ran Close to Plane Oakland". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. March 21, 1953. Retrieved December 13, 2025– via Newspapers.com. The plane, a Transocean Air Lines DC-4, struck a hill near Decoto just a few minutes after it cleared for a landing with the Oakland Airport. It was en route to Hawaii and the Far East and was due at Honolulu this morning. [...] Evewitnesses said the aircraft, flying through a drizzle of rain, smashed into the hill [...] Mrs. Henry Andrade, who lives only 300 yards from the crash scene, said she heard crash and then a series of explosions. She ran as close to the burning plane as she could.
1234"FBI Alerted in Eastbay Air Crash That Killed 35". Oakland Tribune. March 21, 1953. Retrieved December 13, 2025– via Newspapers.com. Investigation of the cause was being made today by Earle Mitchell, chief of the Oakland office of the Civil Aeronautics Board, assisted by experts from Southern California, and officials of Oakland company. [...] Transocean Air Lines said the Douglas-built DC-4 was leased from the Air Force and operated by Transocean under contract to the Military Air Transport Service. [...] Presumably the ice came from the leading edge of the wing and was broken off by de-icers. Authorities in their preliminary investigation discounted the probability that icing caused the plane to fall, since the pilot had reported no difficulty with icing conditions. [...] Weather Bureau found the freezing level at 4855 feet at 7 p.m., less than half an hour after the crash, and the Transocean plane was at 3500 feet two minutes before it hit. [...] Fire equipment from Alvarez and Decoto was the first rescue equipment on the scene and extinguished the main fire. Reports that there were about six survivors, some seemed, to be alive at first, brought ambulances to the scene. They bogged down in the mud that became a quagmire as more people and vehicles sloshed through the field in the rain. Tractors pulled the ambulances out. The victims were taken to Fairmont Hospital, where they too were pronounced dead. [..] Alameda County sheriff's deputies and air police from Parks Air Force Base roped off the area and medical technicians from Parks and Oakland Naval Hospital carried on the grim task of recovering the bodies, some of which still were inside the plane. Transocean Air Lines President Orvis M. Nelson and Executive Vice-President Sam Wilson both were on the crash scene, along with other executives.
12"Engineers Probe Crash Fatal To 35". Denton Record Chronicle. March 22, 1953. Retrieved December 13, 2025– via Newspaperarchive.com. Some of the first to reach the scene thought they could see men more in what was left of the rear structure. [...] But there was no life in anyone as ambulances carried the victims to nearby Parks Air Force Base where identification work began.
↑"Investigation is Launched". The Times Record (Maine). March 21, 1953. Retrieved January 3, 2025– via Newspapers.com. Alameda county officers said bodies could be seen burning within the portion of "fuselage" that "remained intact; Ambulances vainly rushed the victims to a nearby hospital, and poor roads in the crash area hampered efforts to evacuate bodies
↑"35 Killed in S.F. Bay Area Tragedy". The Whittier News. March 21, 1953. Retrieved December 13, 2025– via Newspapers.com. Civil Aeronautics Authority officials said that the pilot for the four-motor gave no indication of trouble last night when he radioed the Oakland airport 23 miles north
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