Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight in Alaska that crashed into Pedro Bay on December 2, 1968, killing all 39 on board.[1][2] The Fairchild F-27B aircraft was operated by Wien Consolidated Airlines and was en route to Dillingham from Anchorage, with three intermediate stops. The NTSB investigation revealed that the aircraft suffered a structural failure after encountering "severe-to-extreme" air turbulence.[3] The accident was the second-worst accident involving a Fairchild F-27 at the time, and currently the third-worst accident involving the aircraft.[1]
Flight 55 was served by a Fairchild F-27B, a twin-engine propjet aircraft[4] that had been in service since 1959.[1] The aircraft was piloted by Captain David Stanley, who had been a pilot for Northern Consolidated Airlines for seven years before that airline was merged into Wien Consolidated Airlines. Prior to that, he had been a flight instructor in Anchorage, and was described as an excellent pilot.[4]
Flight 55 departed Anchorage International Airport on Monday, December 2, at 8:46 am AKST, and proceeded 150 miles (240 km) southwest to Iliamna without reported difficulties. At 9:25 am, first officer Jerry Svengard contacted Iliamna air traffic control to request an approach clearance, which was granted at 9:26 am.[3] This was the last outside contact made with the crew of Flight 55.
Crashedit
While preparing to approach Iliamna, the aircraft encountered extreme turbulence at 11,500 feet (3,500 m). Local witnesses reported hearing an explosion and seeing a fireball in the vicinity of the aircraft's tail before it descended in a steep, uncontrolled spiral towards the ground.[4] Other witnesses reported large quantities of black smoke from behind the wing of the aircraft, and that the plane continued on course for a short period of time, before pieces separated from the aircraft and it entered a dive.[3] The aircraft crashed into Foxys Lake, Pedro Bay,[5] an area described as being a frozen marshland surrounded by mountains.[4]
Heavy winds gusting up to 55 miles per hour (90 km/h), as well as low temperatures of −11 °F (−24 °C), hampered search, rescue, recovery, and investigation efforts.[4] An Air Force helicopter was able to reach the crash site that afternoon, but was forced by the wind to take off shortly thereafter. The pilot, Major Norman Kahmoot, reported that there were no survivors, and that the aircraft had been so disfigured by the crash that it was no longer recognizable.[4] Bodies had been scattered across a large area, and local Athabascan villagers volunteered to guard the remains from wolves until they could be collected and taken to the temporary morgue.[4]
The NTSB investigation lasted 19 months,[1] and it was discovered that a number of fatigue cracks had formed on the aircraft's wings due to improper and shoddy maintenance. The area over Pedro Bay had been the site of extreme, unreported turbulence, with winds in excess of 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph).[3] The stresses due to turbulence and air pressure caused a structural failure in the aircraft's right wing, forcing it into a spiraling, uncontrollable dive.[1]
^"39 die in Alaskan crash". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. 3 December 1968. p. 1.
^ abcd"Aircraft Accident Report: Wien Consolidated Airlines, Inc.; Fairchild F-27B, N4905; Pedro Bay, Alaska; December 2, 1968" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 22 July 1970. NTSB-AAR-70-16. Retrieved 2 September 2009. - Copy at Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
^ abcdefg"Spotsy Lake, AK Airliner Crashes into Frozen Lake". Daily Sitka Sentinel Alaska. 3 December 1968. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
^Byrne, Gerry (2002). Flight 427: Anatomy of an Air Disaster. New York: Copernicus Books. p. 41. ISBN0-387-95256-X. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
November 25, 2023
wien, consolidated, airlines, flight, scheduled, domestic, passenger, flight, alaska, that, crashed, into, pedro, december, 1968, killing, board, fairchild, aircraft, operated, wien, consolidated, airlines, route, dillingham, from, anchorage, with, three, inte. Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight in Alaska that crashed into Pedro Bay on December 2 1968 killing all 39 on board 1 2 The Fairchild F 27B aircraft was operated by Wien Consolidated Airlines and was en route to Dillingham from Anchorage with three intermediate stops The NTSB investigation revealed that the aircraft suffered a structural failure after encountering severe to extreme air turbulence 3 The accident was the second worst accident involving a Fairchild F 27 at the time and currently the third worst accident involving the aircraft 1 Wien Consolidated AirlinesFlight 55A Fairchild F 27 similar to the accident aircraftAccidentDateDecember 2 19689 36 am AKSTSummaryStructural failureSitePedro Bay Alaska U S 59 46 16 N 154 08 28 W 59 771 N 154 141 W 59 771 154 141AircraftAircraft typeFairchild F 27BOperatorWien Consolidated AirlinesRegistrationN4905Flight originAnchorage Alaska1st stopoverIliamna Alaska2nd stopoverBig Mountain Alaska3rd stopoverKing Salmon AlaskaDestinationDillingham AlaskaPassengers36Crew3Fatalities39Injuries0Survivors0San Pedro Bay class notpageimage Location in Alaska Contents 1 Flight 2 Crash 3 See also 4 ReferencesFlight editFlight 55 was served by a Fairchild F 27B a twin engine propjet aircraft 4 that had been in service since 1959 1 The aircraft was piloted by Captain David Stanley who had been a pilot for Northern Consolidated Airlines for seven years before that airline was merged into Wien Consolidated Airlines Prior to that he had been a flight instructor in Anchorage and was described as an excellent pilot 4 Flight 55 departed Anchorage International Airport on Monday December 2 at 8 46 am AKST and proceeded 150 miles 240 km southwest to Iliamna without reported difficulties At 9 25 am first officer Jerry Svengard contacted Iliamna air traffic control to request an approach clearance which was granted at 9 26 am 3 This was the last outside contact made with the crew of Flight 55 Crash editWhile preparing to approach Iliamna the aircraft encountered extreme turbulence at 11 500 feet 3 500 m Local witnesses reported hearing an explosion and seeing a fireball in the vicinity of the aircraft s tail before it descended in a steep uncontrolled spiral towards the ground 4 Other witnesses reported large quantities of black smoke from behind the wing of the aircraft and that the plane continued on course for a short period of time before pieces separated from the aircraft and it entered a dive 3 The aircraft crashed into Foxys Lake Pedro Bay 5 an area described as being a frozen marshland surrounded by mountains 4 Heavy winds gusting up to 55 miles per hour 90 km h as well as low temperatures of 11 F 24 C hampered search rescue recovery and investigation efforts 4 An Air Force helicopter was able to reach the crash site that afternoon but was forced by the wind to take off shortly thereafter The pilot Major Norman Kahmoot reported that there were no survivors and that the aircraft had been so disfigured by the crash that it was no longer recognizable 4 Bodies had been scattered across a large area and local Athabascan villagers volunteered to guard the remains from wolves until they could be collected and taken to the temporary morgue 4 The NTSB investigation lasted 19 months 1 and it was discovered that a number of fatigue cracks had formed on the aircraft s wings due to improper and shoddy maintenance The area over Pedro Bay had been the site of extreme unreported turbulence with winds in excess of 50 knots 93 km h 58 mph 3 The stresses due to turbulence and air pressure caused a structural failure in the aircraft s right wing forcing it into a spiraling uncontrollable dive 1 See also editList of accidents and incidents involving airliners in the United StatesReferences edit a b c d e Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network Retrieved on September 2 2009 39 die in Alaskan crash Spokesman Review Spokane Washington Associated Press 3 December 1968 p 1 a b c d Aircraft Accident Report Wien Consolidated Airlines Inc Fairchild F 27B N4905 Pedro Bay Alaska December 2 1968 PDF National Transportation Safety Board 22 July 1970 NTSB AAR 70 16 Retrieved 2 September 2009 Copy at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University a b c d e f g Spotsy Lake AK Airliner Crashes into Frozen Lake Daily Sitka Sentinel Alaska 3 December 1968 Retrieved 3 September 2009 Byrne Gerry 2002 Flight 427 Anatomy of an Air Disaster New York Copernicus Books p 41 ISBN 0 387 95256 X Retrieved 3 September 2009 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 amp oldid 1175132819, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
