ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-DK (DC-3) NC66637 Cape Spencer, AK
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 4 November 1948
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-47A-DK (DC-3)
Operator:Pacific Alaska Air Express
Registration: NC66637
MSN: 11800
First flight: 1943
Total airframe hrs:4320
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S1C3-G
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15
Total:Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17
Aircraft damage: Missing
Aircraft fate: Presumed damaged beyond repair
Location:off Cape Spencer, AK (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Yakutat Airport, AK (YAK/PAYA), United States of America
Destination airport:Annette Island Airport, AK (ANN/PANT), United States of America
Narrative:
At approximately 22:26, November 3, 1948. the flight departed Anchorage for Seattle via Homer, Yakutat, and Annette Island, Alaska. The flight arrived at Yakutat at 02:57. At Yakutat an instrument flight plan was filed specifying a cruising altitude of 10,000 feet to Annette Island. At 04:07, the flight took off from Yakutat. A position report was received from the flight by Gustavus Radio at 05:10 to the effect that the flight was cruising at 10,000 feet, 146 miles southeast of Yakutat, and that it estimated arriving over Sitka, Alaska, at 05:44. This was the last communication received from the flight. The plane was declared missing and the wreckage was never found.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "There is not sufficient evidence for the Board to make any determination as to the probable cause for this accident."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: CAB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

Classification:

Sources:
» CAB File No. 1-0121


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Yakutat Airport, AK to Annette Island Airport, AK as the crow flies is 688 km (430 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Douglas DC-3

  • ca 13.000 built
  • 2680th loss
  • 894th fatal accident
  • 136th worst accident (at the time)
  • 305th worst accident (currently)
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