FLIGHT 409 On October 6, 1955 United Airlines flight 409, a Douglas DC-4 propliner with American registration number N300062 departed Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah. The trip to Denver was routine except for traffic delays, caused principally by weather. At 0726, The aircraft crashed into cloud covered Medicine Bow Peak while en route. The plane failed to clear the 12,013 foot peak by 75 feet. The pilot deviated from course for reasons unknown, but possible incapacitation of crew by carbon monoxide emanating from a faulty cabin heater or exhaust manifold. There were 66 fatalities on board (63 passengers, 3 crew members) and none on the ground. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Flight 409 left Denver, Colorado at 6:33 am. on October 6, 1955. This was 83 minutes after its scheduled departure time. The assigned path the airliner was expected to fly was along airways V-4 Denver to Laramine, Wyoming V-118 to Rock River, Wyoming radio, V-6 to Fort Bridger, Wyoming, and V-32 to a landing in Salt Lake City. The flight was operating …show more content…
The exhaust manifold was badly damaged, possibly causing poisonous gases to leak into the cabin of the aircraft through the nose wheel well, but that would have required the ground blower, but the ground blower is not normally used in the air. It is possible that they may have because incapacitated by other means. Because the aircraft collided with the mountain at an altitude higher than 11,500 feet, they could have experienced hypoxia due to the unpressurized aircraft. The conclusion is that the pilot deviated from the planned course for reasons unknown, though previous records show the it is unlikely for the pilot to break the companys strict rules. Though, according to the Aviation Safety Network, the probable cause was “ The action of the pilot in deviating from the planned route for reasons