On October 3, 2023, a United Airlines DC-6, the Douglas DC-6 named ‘Mainliner Omaha’, crashed near the top of a hill near Oakland Airport, California, resulting in the deaths of all five crew members. The aircraft, operating on a scheduled flight from Boston, Massachusetts to Oakland, California, with en route stops in Hartford, Connecticut, Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, encountered a crew change and refueling at Chicago. The flight began on a scheduled route, but then experienced a significant descent and collision with terrain near Oakland. The aircraft was cleared to Newark, with instructions to descend and contact Oakland Approach Control. During the descent, the aircraft reported over Stockton, California, at 9500 feet, descending. At 03:54 PST, it was cleared to maintain 500 feet above the clouds and then requested a direct contact with Newark. The pilot followed this request, requesting a straight-in approach to the southeast of Oakland, and was granted. The flight continued for approximately 4 minutes before abruptly terminating radio contact. The aircraft then descended until it struck the hillside at 983 feet MSL, 26 feet below the crest of the hill, approximately three miles to the right of the intended course of the Oakland radio range. The fuselage scattered across the down-slope and into a canyon.On October 3, 2023, a United Airlines DC-6, the Douglas DC-6 named ‘Mainliner Omaha’, crashed near the top of a hill near Oakland Airport, California, resulting in the deaths of all five crew members. The aircraft, operating on a scheduled flight from Boston, Massachusetts to Oakland, California, with en route stops in Hartford, Connecticut, Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, encountered a crew change and refueling at Chicago. The flight began on a scheduled route, but then experienced a significant descent and collision with terrain near Oakland. The aircraft was cleared to Newark, with instructions to descend and contact Oakland Approach Control. During the descent, the aircraft reported over Stockton, California, at 9500 feet, descending. At 03:54 PST, it was cleared to maintain 500 feet above the clouds and then requested a direct contact with Newark. The pilot followed this request, requesting a straight-in approach to the southeast of Oakland, and was granted. The flight continued for approximately 4 minutes before abruptly terminating radio contact. The aircraft then descended until it struck the hillside at 983 feet MSL, 26 feet below the crest of the hill, approximately three miles to the right of the intended course of the Oakland radio range. The fuselage scattered across the down-slope and into a canyon.