1948 Los Gatos DC-3 crash
On January 28, 1948, a DC-3 plane carrying 32 persons, mostly Mexican farm laborers, including some from the bracero guest worker program, crashed in the Diablo Range, 20 miles west of Coalinga, California. The crash, which killed everyone aboard the plane, inspired the song "Deportee" by Woody Guthrie.
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 28, 1948 |
| Summary | Fire, originating in the left engine-driven fuel pump |
| Site | Diablo mountains, west of Coalinga, Fresno County, California, United States 36.2366°N 120.5849°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | C-47B-40-DK Skytrain |
| Operator | Airline Transport Carriers (under INS contract) |
| Registration | NC36480 |
| Flight origin | Oakland, California |
| Stopover | Burbank, California |
| Destination | El Centro, California |
| Occupants | 32 |
| Passengers | 29 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 32 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Some of the passengers were being returned to Mexico at the termination of their bracero contracts, while others were illegal immigrants being deported. Initial news reports listed only the pilot, first officer, and stewardess, with the remainder listed only as "deportees." Only 12 of the victims were initially identified. The Mexican victims of the accident were placed in a mass grave at Holy Cross Cemetery in Fresno, California, with their grave marked only as "Mexican Nationals".