On the morning of January 10, 1945, during a missed approach to Hollywood Burbank Airport, the American Airlines Douglas DC-3-277B operating the flight crashed into the nearby Verdugo Hills.

After departing Phoenix, the flight was cleared to Newhall, California due to unfavorable weather conditions at Burbank.

At 3 a.m. PST, the weather report showed a ceiling of 700 feet, overcast, visibility of two miles, and light fog.

At 3:06 a.m., the flight was cleared by the Los Angeles Air Traffic Control to proceed to Burbank as originally planned.

All subsequent attempts to contact the plane from the tower, American Airlines, and other radio stations were unsuccessful.