What happened
On December 30, 1951, a Transocean Air Lines flight operating on behalf of the United States Navy departed Point Barrow for Umiat. The aircraft, a Douglas DC-4 (implied by context/type), was carrying two crew members and two nonrevenue passengers under a mutual assistance agreement with Wien Alaska Airlines. After a stop in Umiat, the flight proceeded toward Fairbanks following an instrument flight plan.
During the descent phase of the flight, the aircraft was cleared to maintain 5,000 feet as it approached the Fairbanks radio range. At 2205, the pilot notified air traffic control that the Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) was non-functional and indicated they would proceed along the west leg of the station. Following a confirmation of this maneuver, the aircraft ceased all radio communication.
The wreckage was located in hilly terrain on January 3, 1952. The impact destroyed the aircraft, and all 4 individuals on board were killed.
Findings
Investigation into the accident revealed that while weather conditions were consistent with forecasts and did not prevent a safe landing, the flight was significantly off course when tracked by radar. The aircraft was observed moving between the east and west legs of the Fairbanks range for approximately 12 minutes. All ground-based radio equipment was found to be operating correctly. The investigation concluded that the aircraft struck a mountain while traveling on a westerly heading after making an authorized turn.