American Airlines Flight 28
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 23, 1942 |
| Summary | Mid-air collision |
| Site | Chino Canyon, Riverside County, California, United States |
| Total fatalities | 12 |
| Total injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Total survivors | 2 |
| First aircraft | |
 An American Airlines DC-3, similar to the one lost in the mid-air collision. |
|
| Type | twin-engine Douglas DC-3 |
| Name | Flagship Connecticut |
| Operator | American Airlines |
| Registration | NC16017 |
| Flight origin | Lockheed Air Terminal, California |
| Stopover | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Destination | New York, New York |
| Passengers | 9 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 12 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
 A USAAF Lockheed B-34 'Lexington', similar to the one that collided with American Airlines Flight 28. |
|
| Type | Lockheed B-34 'Lexington' (Ventura IIA) bomber |
| Operator | US Army Air Forces |
| Registration | 41-38116 |
| Flight origin | Long Beach Army Air Base, California |
| Destination | Palm Springs, California |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Survivors | 2 |
American Airlines Flight 28 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight that crashed on October 23, 1942 in Chino Canyon, near Palm Springs, California after being struck by a United States Army Air Forces B-34 'Lexington' bomber. The B-34 suffered only minor damage, and landed safely at the Army Airport of the Sixth Ferrying Command, Palm Springs, California.
All nine passengers and three crewmembers on board the airliner perished in the crash and subsequent fire; neither of the two Army pilots aboard the B-34 was injured. The army pilot was later tried on manslaughter charges, but was acquitted by a court martial trial board. The casualties included Academy Award-winning Hollywood composer Ralph Rainger, who had written a number of hit songs including "I Wished on the Moon," "June in January," "Blue Hawaii," "Love in Bloom" (Jack Benny's theme song), and "Thanks for the Memory," entertainer Bob Hope's signature song.
American Airlines Flight 28 was served by a Douglas DC-3, registration NC16017, powered by two 1,102 horsepower (822 kW) Wright Cyclone engines and full-feathering propellers. It had been approved and certified by the Civil Aeronautics Board, and was rated to carry a maximum of 21 passengers and 4 crew. It was piloted by Captain Charles Fred Pedley, 42, who had flown for 12 years with American Airlines, and who had logged over 17,000 hours of flight time. The co-pilot was First Officer Louis Frederick Reppert, Jr., a 26-year-old pilot with 800 hours of flight time and six months' employment by the airline. The third crewmember was Estelle Frances Regan, age 27, a stewardess.
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