September 3, 1929: Transcontinental Air Transport (T.A.T.) Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor (NC9649) Mt. Taylor, NM
On the morning of Tuesday September 3, 1929, a Ford Tri-Motor departed Albuquerque's main passenger air field en route to Los Angeles, California. On board were five passengers, two pilots, and a courier. For pioneering airline Transcontinental Air Transport (T.A.T.) today's flight would be considered routine having a few months prior inaugurated 48 hour coast-to-coast service from New York to Los Angeles. The service was unique in that traveling passengers would take trains operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and Santa Fe Railroad to travel at night by Pullman car and then board one of T.A.T.'s Ford Tri-Motor aircraft during the day to continue their trip.
Air travel at the time was a new concept for many and well known aviation pioneers such as Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart were hired as paid consultants to build public confidence and acceptance. Lindbergh himself having flown and approving the transcontinental routes that T.A.T. would fly. This was the beginning of passenger airline travel.
The weather west of Albuquerque was dark with thunder clouds and rain as the flight made it's way toward Winslow, Arizona. The Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor (NC9649) named by the airline; "City of San Francisco" and was delivered to T.A.T. less than one year prior. The T.A.T. flight crew consisted of Captain J.B. Stowe and Co-Pilot E.A. Dietel. T.A.T. Courier C.F. Canfield attended to the five passengers.
With just over 45 minutes passed into the stormy flight, the "City of San Francisco" had diverted north of course and into mountainous terrain of Mt. Taylor near Grants, New Mexico. Whether it was low visibility, strong downdrafts or a fatal combination of both, the answers to what really happened to the flight has been lost to the passage of nearly eighty years. What we do know is that the "City of San Francisco" along with it's compliment of passengers and crew came to a violent end on the tree covered slopes of Mt. Taylor. For T.A.T. officials and the rest of the world, the flight had simply vanished without a trace.
Searchers, many of them local volunteers spent long hours in the air and on foot looking for the lost aircraft. It would be nearly four days before the wreckage of T.A.T. Flight A19 was discovered. This accident is considered to be one of the first commercial airline disasters and at the time it was believed that this accident would end passenger air travel.
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HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
Researching and visiting this accident site was a great opportunity. In late 2008, I was notified that the United States Forest Service (USFS) in New Mexico was seeking volunteers to help document a few historical aircraft accident sites near Grants. One of which was the crash site of the "City of San Francisco". The work involved was part of the USFS's "Passports in Time" (PIT) program. I couldn't resist and had to sign up.
I was drawn to this particular crash site by the amazing story and the time period that the accident occurred. At nearly 80 years old, this was earliest crash site that I ever had the opportunity to visit and document. What also made this accident intriguing to me was that the aircraft involved was the same exact model that I currently fly for the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Valle, Arizona.
During June 2009, we began survey and excavation work on the site. Along with project leader and archaeologist Linda Popelish of the USFS, were several people from the aviation archaeology community. Both groups worked very well with one another as ideas and field techniques were shared. Thank you for viewing the following story and photos.
The use of a metal detector helped locate this partially buried fuselage stringer support.
Further examination of the stringer support revealed a part number marked in black ink that was barely visible.
This support and steel cable was used to structurally support the horizontal stabilizer to the aft fuselage.
A similiar cable attach point can be found on Ford Tri-Motor (N414H) supporting the horizontal stabilizer assembly.
The remaining steel support cable has long been reduced to rust.
Fragments of fuselage window channeling was located throughout the site.
Very little of the Ford Tri-Motor's distinctive corrugated structure remained at the site. Most of it was sadly hauled off long ago by souvenir hunters.
In this photo I am holding up one of the few remaining fragments.
Not really sure what this object is. We found several of them. They seem to be too small to support seat frames, so maybe they were used to support window curtain rods in the passenger cabin.
A engine case fragment with stamped number.
These bolted metal tubes were used to help support the two rear pylon engine cowls. We located quite a few of them during the survey.
Another engine cowl panel support tube.
A view inside one of the outer engine nacelles of Ford TriMotor (N414H) provides a look at how the engine cowl supports were used.
A light assembly with socket and bulb fragment most likely came from the cockpit of the Tri-Motor.
A passenger coat hanger still retains it's shape since the accident.
Passenger seat tubing framework.
Recording and documenting surface finds.
EXCAVATION BEGINS:
Bob Rushforth, Cristin Embree, and Linda Popelish set up an excavation grid at the site. The excavation grids were one meter square and were placed at various locations at the crash site.
The goal was not to completely excavate the crash site, but to gain an understanding of the remaining sub-surface artifacts.
The information obtained by the excavations allow the USFS to better manage the site.
Setting up an excavation grid in the debris field.
Matt Wehling conducts a final search for surface metal objects with a metal detector prior to setting up an excavation grid at the main impact site.
A majority of the team began excavation work at the main impact site, or where the Tri-Motor fuselage finally came to rest.
Mike McComb, Linda Popelish, and Brian Richardson begin the excavation work as surface features are mapped first prior to any digging.
USFS Archaeologist Cristin Embree recovering a buried piece of wreckage as Matt Wheling and Bob Rushforth record the find.
USFS Project Leader Linda Popelish recording a recovered piece of aircraft wreckage from an excavation grid.
Soil was screened into the five gallon buckets and the recovered artifacts separated into the zip-lock bags.
The excavation work went slow, but was very methodical in it's practice.
The excavation grids were divided into separate quads to help in the mapping of sub-surface artifacts.
The excavation of the main impact site revealed the largest variety of artifacts recovered such as; airline dishware, glass, and small jewelry beads.
ARTIFACT RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS:
Over a period of many years, a collection of recovered wreckage from the "City of San Francisco" has been maintained by the USFS District Office in Grants. Some fragments were brought in and donated by local residents.
The collection of fragments were removed from storage and displayed during the project with the hope that many of them could be identified by our team.
This Pyrene fire extinguisher handle and pump assembly was recovered from the crash site of the "City of San Francisco" by a local resident. It is currently on display at the USFS District Office in Grants.
An example of an undamaged Pyrene fire extinguisher. The components circled match the recovered artifact above.
These fire extinguishers were generally mounted to the interior walls of the Tri-Motor's passenger cabin.
FORD 5-AT-C TRI-MOTOR (N414H)
Out of the 199 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft built, very few exist today. Even fewer are in flyable airworthy condition. N414H, built in 1929, is not only in flyable condition, but is also a Model 5-AT. The same model aircraft as the "City of San Francisco".
Many of the recovered and documented fragments from the crash site were able to be matched to structure and components from this aircraft.
Located at the crash site was a fuel tank support strap buckle used to secure one of the three fuel tanks on the aircraft.
This photo of a fuel tank support strap and buckle in Tri-Motor N414H illustrates it's use and placement within the wing of the aircraft.
A structural stringer riveted brace was unique in it's design to the Ford Tri-Motor.
A view inside the wing box of N414H depicting the structural stringer supports.
Square tubing, support braces, and lots of rivets give amazing support to the internal structure of the Ford Tri-Motor wing assembly.
A view looking back into the structure of the aft fuselage of the Ford Tri-Motor.
A vintage TAT airline promotional photo showing a passenger seated for meal service in the Ford Tri-Motor.
This original Ford Tri-Motor passenger seat is not a museum display, but is actually used in Tri-Motor N414H. One of few of these aircraft remaining that's certified airworthy to carry passengers.
A passenger seat pan frame. The six stamped metal "shark fins" allowed support to recline the seat back.
This photo illustrates how the "shark fins" were mounted on the base of the passenger seat cushion.
MEMORIAL - Grants, New Mexico
On September 28, 2012, the Cibola County Historical Society unveiled a memorial plaque dedicated to those persons lost on the "City of San Francisco".
For more information about the memorial and the Mount Taylor Air Disaster of 1929, please visit their website at: http://www.cibolahistory.org/mount-taylor-air-disaster.html
Like the famous maritime disaster of the Titanic, the air disaster involving the "City of San Francisco" on September 3, 1929 set the early standards of transportation safety.
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