What happened
The flight originated from McChord Air Force Base in Washington, traveling north toward Anchorage, Alaska. After an initial period of radio communication issues that required a return to the departure point, the aircraft proceeded toward its first planned refueling stop at Annette Island. However, due to intense turbulence and high winds, the crew was unable to land at Annette Island.
Faced with limited fuel, the crew decided to divert to Gustavus, Alaska, which offered better instrument landing facilities than other nearby options. While the pilot possessed experience with multi-engine instrument approaches, he lacked familiarity with the specific Alaskan environmental conditions. As the aircraft approached Gustavus, visibility was reduced by darkness and falling snow.
Because of the critical fuel state, the captain avoided a standard instrument approach that would have required flying over Glacier Bay. Instead, the pilot attempted a short visual approach to maintain sight of the airfield during a snow squall. During this maneuver, the aircraft descended too low, causing the right wing to strike a tall tree. This impact induced a spin that drove the nose into the ground. While the forward section of the aircraft type sustained heavy damage, the rear fuselage remained largely intact as the tail settled into the trees.
Findings
The accident resulted in four fatalities and seven injuries. The primary factor contributing to the crash was the pilot's decision to execute a short visual approach while operating with extremely low fuel reserves under poor visibility conditions.