Flight Details
The aircraft departed Shemya Airport in the Aleutian Islands, bound for Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, under the call sign Irene 92. The flight carried 19 occupants.
Incident Timeline
At 0936 local time, while cruising between the Rats and Andreanof Islands, the copilot notified air traffic control of vibrations but elected to continue the flight. Minutes later, radio contact was lost due to technical problems. ATC continued to track the aircraft on radar until 1022 local time, when the aircraft disappeared from screens in the Amchitka passage.
Search Efforts
Search and rescue operations were conducted for nine days. No trace of the aircraft or its 19 occupants was found.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the exact cause of the accident could not be determined due to the lack of evidence. However, it was reported that the aircraft had experienced severe turbulence while completing an observation mission off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula before landing at Shemya AFB. After that landing, an inspection revealed extensive skin damage to the tail section, including the vertical stabilizer and areas near the long wire high-frequency antenna tail mounts. No other external or internal damage was found, and no damage was noted to the modified sections of the aircraft’s S-band radome. Over the objection of the maintenance crew, the aircrew was directed to fly the aircraft to Eielson Air Force Base for additional inspection and repairs as necessary.