What happened
A Douglas DC-3 departed an island runway at night under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions. The crew did not file a flight plan for the leg. Earlier that day, the aircraft had arrived from Anchorage, Alaska, following a route along the Alaska Peninsula despite VFR conditions not being recommended for that area. Although the crew originally intended to stay overnight on the peninsula, the captain accepted a request to transport cargo back to Anchorage.
The aircraft was loaded with fuel and cargo for the departure. The end of the departure runway sits at the edge of an ocean bay, where open water meets rising volcanic terrain. There was no ground-based lighting or illumination of the terrain in the intended flight path. While an obstacle departure procedure for this runway recommends a right turn at 2 DME followed by a climb to 7,000 feet, the aircraft continued on the runway heading and collided with a volcanic mountain at 1,500 feet MSL, approximately 4.5 miles from the airport.
Forty-five minutes after the departure, a fire was observed on the side of a volcano cone, and an Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal was detected nearby. The aircraft was not reported overdue until the following day, as no company flight following procedures were in place. Due to high winds and heavy snow, rescue teams could not reach the wreckage, located on steep, snow-covered terrain, until three days after the crash.
Findings
The investigation revealed significant regulatory and safety failures within the operating company. The captain served as the president, director of operations, and the sole corporate entity. No current maintenance records, flight logs, or pilot logs were available for the company.
A toxicological examination of the captain conducted by the FAA found cocaine and cocaine metabolites. A toxicological examination of the first officer revealed the presence of two different prescription antidepressant drugs. The investigation also noted that the captain had a prior certificate suspension following a previous accident involving fuel exhaustion, and the first officer had a history of previous aviation accidents.