Transcontinental and Western Air Flight 277 Crashes on Fort Mountain

Transcontinental and Western Air Flight 277 was a C-54 Skymaster en route from Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador to Washington D.C. on June 20, 1944.

The aircraft crashed on Fort Mountain, in Maine's Baxter State Park. All seven on board died, including six civilian crewmembers and one United States Army Air Force passenger.

The aircraft was on a routine mail/cargo flight between England and Washington DC. It was manned by 6 civilian personnel from "Contract Carrier 16" (TWA), with one Army Air Force Sgt. aboard as a passenger. The crew and aircraft departed Stephenville, Newfoundland on the final leg of the flight with an IFR flight plan,and a planned time enroute of 6 hours 55 minutes at 4000 feet. The aircraft checked in with Flight Control at Presque Isle Maine AAF over Moncton, New Brunswick on schedule and on course. Around 11 PM, a morse code ETA was transmitted to Washington DC by 277. No further trasmissions were heard.

When the aircraft failed to report passing Bangor, Maine, it was reported overdue. All military radio stations in the region were asked to attempt contact, to no avail.

The leg of the flight that 277 was on at the time it lost contact was along the Blissville NB- Bangor ME radio airway. Poor weather conditions, with low ceiling, prevented any air search until late the following afternoon. This and more extensive air search activity along the Blissville-Bangor route on the 22nd also came up empty.