- Date
- January 31, 2001, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Crooked Creek, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4390FDouglas DC-6B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 20, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20010131000769A
- Case key
- 53187
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The flight crew's misjudged flare while landing. Factors associated with the accident were flat light conditions, snow-covered terrain, and an uphill runway grade.
Analysis
The certificated airline transport captain related that the purpose of the flight was to deliver about 4,800 gallons of fuel oil to the remote mining site. He said that the 5,400 feet long by 100 feet wide airstrip was situated within hilly, snow-covered terrain. He added that the airstrip has a 7 percent uphill grade. Flat light conditions existed at the airstrip, and light snow showers were present, with visibility reported at 2 miles. The captain stated that during final approach, as the airplane passed over the airstrip threshold, flat light conditions made it very difficult to discern where the airstrip surface was. He said that the initial touch down 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, and off the left side of the runway. The captain said that the airplane's computed landing weight was 92,260 pounds.
Factual narrative
On January 31, 2001, about 1315 Alaska standard time, a Douglas DC-6B airplane, N4390F, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Donlin Creek Airstrip, a remote mine site located about 12 miles north of Crooked Creek, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 125, when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to and operated by Everts Air Fuel, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska. The two certificated airline transport pilots, and the flight engineer, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was in effect. The flight originated at the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, about 1130.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge on February 2, the captain related that the purpose of the flight was to deliver about 4,800 gallons of fuel oil to the remote mining site. He said that the 5,400 feet long by 100 feet wide airstrip was situated within hilly, snow-covered terrain. He added that the airstrip has a 7 percent uphill grade. Flat light conditions existed at the airstrip, and light snow showers were present, with visibility reported at 2 miles. The captain stated that during final approach, as the airplane passed over the airstrip threshold, flat light conditions made it very difficult to discern where the airstrip surface was. He said that the initial touch down 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, and off the left side of the runway.
The captain said that the airplane's computed landing weight was 92,260 pounds.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4390F
- Reported as
- Douglas DC-6B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44898
- Airframe hours
- 37,052.7
- Engine
- P&W R2800-CB, 2,400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 125
- Operator
- Everts Air Fuel, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Cliford R. Everts
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · January 24, 2001 · 33.5 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- Crooked Creek, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- Donlin Creek Airstrip, runway 11, 5,400 × 150 ft, snow
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 3
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 29,500 total · 8,100 in this make and model · 29,000 as pilot in command · 263 in the last 90 days · 71 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Right
- Role
- Flight engineer
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.