Pilot error led to tragedy and revealed secret US facility
The crash of TWA Flight 514, a Boeing 727, in Virginia in 1974 killed 92 people. The investigation found that pilots descended prematurely due to misinterpreting air traffic control instructions. The disaster led to safety reforms, the introduction of the GPWS system, and exposed the existence of the secret Mount Weather complex.
On December 1, 1974, TWA Flight 514, a Boeing 727-231 traveling from Indianapolis to Washington, crashed in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Due to strong crosswinds at the intended airport, the flight was diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport. The controller cleared the crew for a VOR/DME approach without additional altitude restrictions. The crew mistakenly interpreted this as permission to immediately descend to 1,800 feet, even though the aircraft was 44 miles from the airport. The airliner slammed into the western slope of Weather Mountain. All 85 passengers and 7 crew members died. The NTSB classified the accident as CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) and cited premature descent as the primary cause, though some experts argued for shared responsibility with air traffic control. The investigation revealed confusion in terminology, deficiencies in flight charts, and poor pilot awareness of terrain. The crash drew attention to the secret federal Mount Weather complex, located near the crash site. The next day, The New York Times reported on the facility in detail for the first time. The FAA received 14 stringent recommendations, including mandatory implementation of Ground Proximity Warning Systems (GPWS) and improved radio communication standards.