20010925024809A

(.19) On September 25, 2001, about 1609 Alaska daylight time, a Douglas DC-6B airplane, N867TA, sustained substantial damage during landing at the alpine airstrip, located about 10 miles north of Nuiqsut, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cargo flight under title 14, CFR part 121, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to and operated by northern air cargo, inc., anchorage, Alaska. The two certificated airline transport pilots, and the flight engineer, sustained minor injures. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was in effect. The flight originated at the deadhorse airport, deadhorse, Alaska, about 1530. During a telephone conversation with the national transportation safety board investigator-in-charge on September 27, the captain related that the purpose of the flight was to deliver about 20,000 pounds of oil drilling equipment to a remote oil production site. He reported that light snow showers were present, with visibility reported at 4 miles. The captain stated that during final approach, as the airplane passed over the airstrip threshold, a higher than normal sink rate was encountered. He said that the initial touchdown was "firm", but was thought to be within acceptable tolerances. Just after touchdown, the left wing broke free from the airplane at the wing to fuselage attach point. The airplane veered to the left, continued off the left side of the 5,000 feet long by 75 feet runway, down an embankment, and came to rest in an area of wet, tundra-covered terrain. A postcrash fire ensued, heavily damaging the center section of the fuselage. The captain stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. (-23) the northern air cargo, inc. flight 690 from dead horse (scc) to alpine (AK15) was on an IFR flight plan and had commenced a GPS 21 approach to runway 21 at alpine. During the landing witness reported that the aircraft hit the runway very hard about 600 feet from the approach end; the aircraft bounced into the air then came down again hard when the left wing separated from the aircraft. The aircraft continued off the runway into the tundra and burned. The phillips alpine fire department expediently extinguished the post-flight fire. There was only the three flight crew members onboard, w ho escaped with minor injuries, captain albert david goocey ATP 1926806, first officer mark andrew waggoner ATP 534844044, and flight engineer james anderson f/e 574168182. Both waggoner and goocey are type rated and captain checked on the DC-6 aircraft for northern air cargo, inc. mark waggoner was flying the aircraft and occupying the left seat. Captain dave goocey has a company "right seat dependency" check and was occupying the right seat at the time of the accident.