On March 10, 1967, it crashed shortly after takeoff from Klamath Falls, killing all three crew members and the flight's lone passenger.

[1][2][3] West Coast Airlines Flight 720 was operated on Friday, March 10, 1967 by a Fairchild F-27 aircraft registered N2712 and built in 1960.

That morning, the aircraft was parked in West Coast's hangar at Klamath Falls Airport for routine maintenance.

Ground personnel spent 11 minutes freeing it, and during this time, the airplane was exposed to the adverse weather conditions and no attempt was undertaken to clear the wings or control surfaces of snow.

The controller replied to the crew that they were indeed visible via radar, and he then witnessed a target on his screen drift to the left of the runway centerline and head toward the 6,526-foot (1,989 m) Stukel Mountain, four miles (6 km) southeast of the airport.

[4] The aircraft was observed accumulating ice and snow on its control surfaces prior to takeoff and when moved out of the hangar.