Accident Details
On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a scheduled international passenger flight, departed from Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. The flight was en route to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in Washington, with an intermediate stop at San Francisco International Airport in California. While attempting to divert to Los Angeles International Airport, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 experienced a catastrophic loss of pitch control and crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California.
Flight Information
The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-83. On board were 88 individuals: two pilots, three cabin crew members, and 83 passengers. All 88 occupants died in the accident. The flight originated from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and was destined for Seattle, Washington, with a planned stop in San Francisco.
Aftermath
The accident site was located in the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, part of the Channel Islands of California. Search and recovery efforts followed. The investigation into the crash focused on the loss of pitch control, but no probable cause was officially stated in the preliminary information.