, a
Vickers Viscount 745D , was a scheduled flight from
Newark International Airport (EWR/KEWR) in
Newark ,
New Jersey to
Washington, D.C. with 17 people on board.
On , it crashed just northwest of what is now
Columbia ,
Maryland after striking a flock of
Whistling Swan s while cruising at 6,000 feet (1,800 m). The
Bird Strike caused the horizontal stabilizer to separate, leading to loss of control and the crash which killed all on board. The crew were Captain Milton J. Balog, Copilot Robert J. Lewis, and Stewardesses Mary Kay Klein and Kaaren G. Brent. Captain Balog had been with Capital Airlines, which had operated Viscount N7430 (s/n 128) prior to Capital's merger with United.
United Airlines uses the 297 flight designation for the
BWI Airport (BWI/KBWI) in
Baltimore , Maryland to the
San Francisco International Airport (SFO/KSFO) in
San Francisco ,
California and onto
Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO/KRNO) in
Reno ,
Nevada flight route.
