Incident Overview
On an AWACS survey mission, an aircraft operating as Yukla 27 departed Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB) from runway 05. On board were 20 passengers and four crew members. During initial climb, the aircraft struck a flock of Canada geese, impacting both left engines (numbers 1 and 2). The aircraft reached a maximum altitude of approximately 250 feet before engine number 1 failed and engine number 2 exploded. The subsequent loss of control led to an uncontrolled left roll, causing the left wing to strike trees. The aircraft crashed in a wooded area about one mile from the runway end, disintegrating on impact. All 24 occupants were killed. Numerous dead geese were found at the crash site.
Sequence of Events
The accident occurred shortly after takeoff. A USAF Lockheed C-130 had departed from the same runway approximately two minutes earlier. At that time, numerous Canada geese were standing near the runway end and were likely disturbed by the C-130's low pass. The geese took off and remained hovering at low altitude. The tower controller observed this activity but failed to warn the Sentry crew accordingly. After the collision, the aircraft lost control and crashed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the loss of control and subsequent crash was the consequence of a collision with Canada geese during initial climb. Contributing factors included the lack of an effective program to detect and deter bird hazards at Elmendorf AFB, as well as the tower controller's failure to warn the flight crew about the birds.