Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114 facts for kids
The crash aircraft in January 1959 (old registration)
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| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | November 15, 1964 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) |
| Site | Clark County, 2.7 miles (4.3 km) W of Sloan, Nevada 35°56′26″N 115°15′53″W / 35.9405°N 115.2647°W |
| Aircraft type | Fairchild F-27 |
| Operator | Bonanza Air Lines |
| Registration | N745L (formerly N145L) |
| Flight origin | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport |
| Destination | McCarran International Airport |
| Passengers | 26 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 29 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114 was an airplane called a Fairchild Hiller FH-227. It was a type of plane known as a turboprop airliner. This plane was flying from Phoenix, Arizona, to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The flight happened on the evening of November 15, 1964.
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The Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114 Accident
This section explains what happened during the flight and its sad outcome.
What Happened During the Flight?
At 8:25 p.m., the plane was getting ready to land. The weather was not good at the time. The plane crashed into the top of a hill. This happened in a wide-open desert area. The crash site was about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Las Vegas.
All 29 people on board died right away. This included 26 passengers and three crew members. The plane hit the ground and exploded. It crashed just 10 feet (3 meters) below the top of a ridge. This accident was the only one with deaths in Bonanza Air Lines' 23-year history.
Initial Reports and Recovery Efforts
When the news first came out, reports said 28 people had died. However, this number was corrected later. The body of a very young girl was found among the wreckage. This brought the total number of people who died to 29.
The area where the plane crashed was very rough. There were also snowdrifts around the site. This made it hard for vehicles on the ground to reach the wreckage. Four helicopters helped with the recovery work. They brought people and supplies to the crash site. Later, a narrow, unpaved road was built. This road was one mile long and went up to the hilltop crash site. It helped with cleaning up the area. You can still see this road in pictures taken from the air today.
The Investigation and Pilot Information
The pilot of Flight 114 was Henry "Hank" Fitzpatrick. He was a very experienced pilot. He had flown for over 11,000 hours. At first, people thought he flew too low. They believed he might have misread the map used for landing at McCarran International Airport.
However, years later, a new investigation took place. This investigation showed that the landing map was confusing. It was marked in a way that was not standard. This could have made it difficult for the pilot to understand.
Some families of the people who died in the crash sued the company that made the map. They filed a lawsuit for wrongful death. Before the court made a final decision, the map company, Jeppesen, agreed to pay the families. They paid US$490,000 to settle the case. This means they reached an agreement outside of court.
