Mount Kit Carson
Mount Kit Carson (left) and Mount Spokane (center),
as seen from northeast Spokane
Highest point
Elevation5,286 ft (1,611 m) NAVD 88[1]
Prominence322 ft (98 m)[1]
Parent peakMount Spokane
Coordinates47°55′02″N 117°08′30″W / 47.9171°N 117.1418°W / 47.9171; -117.1418[2]
Geography
Mount Kit Carson is located in the United States
Mount Kit Carson
Mount Kit Carson
Mount Kit Carson is located in Washington (state)
Mount Kit Carson
Mount Kit Carson
Mount Kit Carson (Washington (state))
Parent rangeSelkirk Range
Topo mapUSGS Mount Kit Carson
Climbing
Easiest routeTrail hike

Mount Kit Carson is a mountain in the northwest United States, located in Spokane County, Washington, northeast of Spokane, with a summit elevation of 5,286 feet (1,611 m) above sea level. It is in Mount Spokane State Park, the largest of Washington's State Parks at 13,919 acres (21.7 sq mi; 56.3 km2).

1962 Plane crash

On September 10, 1962, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker was descending for a landing at Fairchild Air Force Base west of Spokane when it flew into a fog-shrouded ravine on Mount Kit Carson. The aircraft was based at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota and all forty-four aboard were killed.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] It was the worst aviation accident in U.S. history (at the time) and as of October 2012, remains the 3rd worst accident (currently) involving a KC-135.[10][11][12] It was attributed to a navigational error by the crew.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Mount Kit Carson, Washington". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  2. ^ "Mount Kit Carson". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  3. ^ "Air Force tanker carrying 44 overdue at Fairchild". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 10, 1962. p. 1.
  4. ^ "44 die in fiery crash of Air Force tanker on side of Mt. Kit Carson". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 11, 1962. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Crash near Spokane takes 44 lives". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 11, 1962. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Tanker-crash probe begun". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). September 11, 1962. p. 1.
  7. ^ "Jet tanker crash kills 44". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 11, 1962. p. 1A.
  8. ^ "Area combed for Air Force plane victims". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. September 11, 1962. p. 1.
  9. ^ "Downed plane cut sharp path up hill". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (photo). September 12, 1962. p. 6.
  10. ^ Camden, Jim (September 9, 2012). "50 years ago, 44 men died when KC-135 crashed before landing". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  11. ^ Accident description for Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker 60-0352 Spokane, WA at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on November 1, 2012.
  12. ^ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker 60-0352 Spokane, WA". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  13. ^ "Other Fairchild plane crashes". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). June 25, 1994. p. A6.

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