What happened
A flight traveling from McChord AFB toward Elmendorf AFB struck the side of Mount Gannett during a night flight. The aircraft, which was carrying 41 passengers and 11 crew members, encountered marginal weather conditions and heavy winds. During the cruise phase, the crew received reports of western winds gusting to 40 knots; however, the actual conditions were much more severe.
The four-engine aircraft impacted a slope of the mountain at an elevation of 9,650 feet, approximately 53 miles east of Elmendorf. The impact caused the plane to disintegrate, and there were 52 fatalities with no survivors. Due to the extreme weather, search and rescue operations were delayed, with responders only reaching the site six days later on November 28. The wreckage was located on the Surprise Glacier, roughly 1,000 feet below the peak.
In the years following the crash, debris continued to be discovered, including new fragments found in June 2012. In June 2014, authorities successfully identified the remains of 17 victims.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the crew was operating under erroneous wind information, as actual gusts reached up to 80 knots. This unexpected wind strength caused the aircraft to drift away from its intended flight path. Because the flight took place at night amidst fog and without visible ground references, the crew could not determine their true position, leading to the controlled flight into terrain.