# NTSB ANC07LA040: Douglas DC-4, N898AT, McGrath, AK, May 30, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 30, 2007, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: McGrath, AK - Coordinates: 63.229167, -154.760284 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=63.2292&lon=-154.7603&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 20, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 65891 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC07LA040 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65891/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC07LA040 ## Probable cause An undershoot and collision with the runway when the pilot misjudged the distance/altitude during the landing flare/touchdown. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Undershoot, landing - flare/touchdown - distance/altitude - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The captain was making a VFR landing approach to a remote mining airstrip in a modified Douglas DC-4 airplane at the end of a cross-country nonscheduled cargo flight. The modified airplane had a raised cockpit above the fuselage to accommodate an upward swinging nose door. During the landing flare/touchdown, the airplane undershot the runway threshold, and right main landing gear struck the lip of the runway. The right main landing gear was torn off, which allowed the nose and right wing to collide with the runway surface. The right wing was torn off the fuselage and caught fire. The fuselage, containing the cargo of fuel bladders, slid to a stop and rolled about 90 degrees to the left. The pilot indicated that due to the additional cockpit height of the modified airplane, versus a standard Douglas DC-4 airplane, the airplane was lower than he perceived. ## Factual narrative On May 30, 2007, about 1200 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Douglas DC-4 airplane, modified as a Carvair ATL-98, N898AT, sustained substantial damage when it collided with the approach end of a remote mine site runway during the landing flare/touchdown, about 28 miles northeast of McGrath, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country nonscheduled cargo flight under Title 14, CFR Part 125, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by Brooks Air Transport, dba Brooks Fuel Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska. The captain, an airline transport certificated pilot, and the first officer, a commercial certificated pilot, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Fairbanks International Airport about 1030. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on May 30, the captain reported that he was planning to land on runway 16, at the Nixon Fork Mine airport. The gravel surface runway, about 1,510 feet msl, is about 4,200 feet long. The captain said that the airplane became low on the landing approach, the right wing dropped, and the right main landing gear struck the lip of the runway. The right main landing gear was torn off, which allowed the nose and right wing to collide with the runway surface. The right wing was torn off the fuselage and caught fire. The fuselage, containing the cargo of fuel bladders, slid to a stop and rolled about 90 degrees to the left. The right wing continued to burn for about 1.5 hours. The Carvair ATL-98 airplane has a raised cockpit area, above the fuselage, to allow for the installation and operation of an upward swinging nose door. The Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, contains a recommendation (How could this accident have been prevented?) section. The pilot indicated that the sight picture in the Carvair is higher than the DC-4, and said, "I think I was lower than I perceived." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N898AT](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N898AT-2016-12-27), registration cancelled 2016-12-27, S/N 42994, built 1946 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Douglas DC-4 - Registry model: [Douglas DC-4](https://openairdocs.org/model/douglas-dc-4) (registry code 3021502) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R-2000 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-2000-series) (registry code 52023, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 42994 - Airframe hours: 55753 - Engines: Pratt & Whitney R-2000 1450 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Part 125 - Registered owner: Brooks Air Transport - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Transport - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, May 1, 2007, 2 hours before - Departed: PAFA, Fairbanks, AK - Destination: AK40, McGrath, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: AK40, Nixon Fork Mine, runway 16, 4,200 × ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: none; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 21,658 total, 13,600 in this make and model, 21,000 as pilot in command, 158 in the last 90 days, 75 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours - Co-pilot; age 30; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2006; seat: rear; flight hours: 1,086 total, 399 in this make and model, 571 as pilot in command, 195 in the last 90 days, 49 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 5 knots, gusting 10 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 50 °F - Altimeter: 29.60 inHg ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070530013049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070530013049A), May 30, 2007: Doug DC4, Mcgrath, AK, Destroyed. (-23) On may 30, 2007 at 1200 Alaska daylight savings time, a DC-4 airplane operated by brooks air fuel, fairbanks, Alaska sustained substantial damage during… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.