TWA Flight 260
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TWA Flight 260 crashed into the Sandia Mountains.
On February 19, 1955 at 7:31 am, TWA flight 260 in route from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico crashed into the Sandia Mountains shortly after take off killing all 13 passengers and 3 crew members on board. Due to the complex mountainous terrain a day after several members of the New Mexico Mountain Club, along with other volunteers assisted the New Mexico State Police were assembled to assist in the recovery efforts leading to the formation of the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council, http://www.abqmountainrescue.org/, a voluntary organization still active today. Wreckage from the craft still remains, http://www.walenz.org/bri/19991024-Hike-TWACanyon/, although believed to be moved out of view of the Sandia Tram, http://www.sandiapeak.com/, a popular tourist attraction active since 1965. Original cause blamed the pilots of “intentionally flying the plane into the mountain” but, 5 years later changed the probable cause to “deviation from course for reasons unknown” with speculation that the fluxgate compass may have malfunctioned.
