Trans World Airlines Flight 514, was a Boeing 727-231 en route from Indianapolis, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio to Washington Dulles International that crashed into Mount Weather, Virginia, on December 1, 1974.

[1][2] In stormy conditions late in the morning, the aircraft was in controlled flight and impacted a low mountain 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi)[3] northwest of its revised destination.

[8][9]: 56–58 On Sunday morning of Thanksgiving weekend, the eastern half of the United States experienced severe weather, with high winds, snow, and rain.

After reaching 1,800 feet (550 m) there were some 100-to-200-foot (30 to 60 m) altitude deviations which the flight crew discussed as encountering heavy downdrafts and reduced visibility in snow.

[3] Shortly after 11 a.m. EST (UTC−5), the plane impacted the west slope of Mount Weather at 1,670 feet (510 m) above sea level at approximately 230 knots (265 mph; 425 km/h).

During the NTSB investigation, it was discovered that a United Airlines flight had very narrowly escaped the same fate during the same approach and at the same location only six weeks prior.

The flight is also of note in that the accident drew undesired attention to the Mount Weather facility,[2][5][15] which was the linchpin of plans implemented by the federal government to ensure continuity in the event of a nuclear war.

[18] This was one of two Boeing 727s to crash in the U.S. that day; the other was Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231 in New York state, on its way to pick up the Baltimore Colts football team in Buffalo.

[19] Roscoe Cartwright, one of the U.S. Army's first black generals, was killed in the crash;[16] he had retired from active duty several months earlier and was accompanied by his wife.