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Western Air Express Flight 7, a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Salt Lake City to Burbank, California, crashed on January 12, 1937 near Newhall, California. The twin engine Boeing 247D, registration NC13315, crashed shortly after 11:00 a.m. in adverse weather conditions. Of the three crew and ten passengers on board, one crew member and four passengers perished. One of the fatalities was noted international adventurer and filmmaker Martin Johnson, of Martin and Osa Johnson fame.〔(PlaneCrashInfo )〕 The off-course Boeing 247D, ''en route'' from Salt Lake City, was on approach to the Union Air Terminal at Burbank, California in severely lowered visibility due to heavy rain and fog. On suddenly spotting a ridge looming directly ahead, pilot William L. Lewis cut the engine and "pancaked" onto the hillside to reduce the force of the impact. The airliner first struck the ground with the left wing tip. It then skidded along the side of the mountain in a curved path for approximately 125 feet, finally coming to rest headed in the opposite direction from which it struck. The point of collision was at an elevation of 3550 feet near the summit of Los Pinetos, the highest mountain in the immediate vicinity.〔 (a (text version ) is also available) (if links above fail to load report, visit (http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net ) and select "Historical Aircraft Accident Reports (1934-1965)", then retry report links)〕 One passenger died immediately and three more died within a week, as did the co-pilot, C. T. Owens. Martin Johnson died of a fractured skull while hospitalized. His wife Osa suffered back and neck injuries but continued with the couple’s lecture circuit, doing so from her wheelchair.〔(Kansas State Historical Society - Profile of Osa Johnson )〕 She later sued Western Air Express and United Airports Co of California for $502,539 but lost on appeal in 1941.〔(Osa Johnson Loses Appeal ), ''Los Angeles Times'', July 1, 1941, p. A14 - brief excerpt〕 One of the survivors was Arthur Robinson, a 25-year-old passenger who managed to hike five miles down the mountainside where he met rescuers from the Olive View Sanitarium who were searching for the accident site. Another survivor was Robert Andersen who recovered from numerous broken bones and became owner-operator of “Pea Soup Andersen’s,” a dining establishment in Buellton, north of Santa Barbara.〔Andersen eventually sold his restaurant business to local businessman and rancher, Vince Evans; in a twist of fate, Evans would lose his life an airplane accident.( Pea Soup Andersen's history )〕 The accident was investigated by the Accident Board of the Bureau of Air Commerce, under the authority of the Department of Commerce.〔 The cause was attributed to the adverse weather conditions, coupled with the pilot’s decision to descend to a dangerously low altitude without positive knowledge of his position.〔 ==See also== * 1937 in aviation * 1937 in the United States * Aviation accidents and incidents * Lists of accidents and incidents on commercial airliners 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Western Air Express Flight 7」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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