Transcontinental and Western Air Flight 277 was a C-54 Skymaster

C-54 Skymaster

The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...

 en route from Stephenville

Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador

Stephenville is a Canadian town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland....

, Newfoundland (now Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

), to Washington D.C. on June 20, 1944. The aircraft crashed on Fort Mountain

Fort Mountain (Maine)

Fort Mountain is a mountain located in Piscataquis County, Maine, within Baxter State Park. Fort Mountain is flanked to the southeast by North Brother Mountain, and to the north by Mullen Mountain...

, in Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

's Baxter State Park

Baxter State Park

Baxter State Park is a large wilderness area permanently preserved as a state park, located in Piscataquis County in north-central Maine. The Park was established by 28 donations of land, in Trust, from Park donor Percival P. Baxter between the years of 1931 and 1962, eventually creating a Park of...

. All seven on board died, including six civilian crewmembers and one United States Army Air Force passenger.

The flight was a scheduled contract flight for Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command

Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...

. After taking off from Newfoundland, the aircraft encountered severe weather, including heavy rains, high winds, and lightning-induced radio static over New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

 and Maine which blew the aircraft 70 mile off course. The pilot, Roger "Rolley" Inman, apparently did not realize that the aircraft, flying at less than 4,000 feet, had been blown into mountainous territory with peaks in excess of 5,000 feet. The aircraft's starboard
wing struck a ridge of boulders at an elevation of 3700 foot on the mountain and the aircraft impacted the ground and was destroyed.