Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Crash near Anacapa Island

Casualties unknown • Port Hueneme, CA, US

Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on January 31, 2000, resulting in 88 fatalities.

What happened

On January 31, 2000, at approximately 1621 Pacific standard time, Alaska Airlines, Inc., flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean. The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, bearing registration N963AS, went down about 2.7 miles north of Anacapa Island, California.

The flight was operating as a scheduled international passenger service under instrument flight rules. The route originated at Lic Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport in Puerto Vallada, Mexico, with a planned intermediate stop at San Francisco International Airport before continuing to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington. At the time of the accident, visual meteorological conditions were in effect.

The impact forces destroyed the aircraft and resulted in 88 fatalities, comprising 2 pilots, 3 cabin crewmembers, and 83 passengers.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2000-02-01 Douglas MD-83 accident near Port Hueneme, CA?

Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on January 31, 2000, resulting in 88 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2000-02-01 involved a Douglas MD-83, registration N963AS, operated by Alaska Airlines Inc, at Port Hueneme, CA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

A loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads. The thread failure was caused by excessive wear resulting from Alaska Airlines' insufficient lubrication of the jackscrew assembly. Contributing to the accident were…

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