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88 fatalities

Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Crash near Anacapa Island (N963AS)

Port Hueneme, CA, US

On February 1, 2000, a Douglas MD-83 (registration N963AS) operated by Alaska Airlines Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Port Hueneme, CA. 88 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A loss of airplane pitch control resulting from the in-flight failure of the horizontal stabilizer trim system jackscrew assembly's acme nut threads. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-15Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered N963AS
Aircraft registered N963AS. Photo: Frank Jäger / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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.

Related events

Same operator

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1 Feb 2000 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.

Were there any fatalities in the 1 Feb 2000 Douglas MD-83 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 88 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1 Feb 2000 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…

More accident analyses

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001212X20339. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.