United 615, Union City Ca, 1951
Posted by: 
WalruZ
N 37° 36.848 W 121° 59.410
10S E 589124 N 4163483
United flight 615, a Douglas DC-6, crashed in these hills August 23, 1951
Waymark Code: WMDQQ
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/28/2006
Views: 238
On August 23, 1951, United flight 615 originating in Boston was approaching the Oakland Airport. To do so, an airplane must pass a North/South line of hills heading West, then descend towards San Francisco Bay and turn North towards the Oakland Airport. The final approach is over water to minimize noise.
Descent usually occurs just beyond the hills, and on that day flight 615 came down just a little too far and clipped a bump just below Tolman Peak in the hills East of Union City California. The plane cartwheeled across a flat area sending debris over a wide area. Everyone aboard - 50 people - died.
The waymark is the bump that the plane clipped, which commands a view of the original debris field. The Tolman Peak trail leads to the site. Although most of the debris is long gone, there is said to be some larger pieces still in some of the surrounding canyons, and visitors are encouraged to provide photos if they can, although access is most likely difficult.