What happened
On March 2, 1957, Alaska Airlines Flight 100, a Douglas DC-4 registered as N 90449, departed Fairbanks, Alaska, for a scheduled flight to Seattle, Washington. Following a routine turnaround in Fairbanks, the aircraft was loaded with fuel and passengers before taking off under visual flight rules at 0958. The flight initially proceeded according to its filed instrument flight plan, making standard position reports as it traveled through favorable weather.
While flying near Haines, Alaska, the crew elected to cancel their instrument flight plan, opting to proceed under visual flight rules toward Annette. During the journey, the aircraft was observed at various points, including Patricia Bay, British Columbia. At 1717, the airline's dispatch office in Seattle received a final radio position report from the crew indicating they were near Dungeness and estimating their arrival in Seattle at 1734. Shortly after this transmission, the aircraft crashed into heavily forested mountains.
The wreckage was discovered on March 3, 1957, located approximately 11 nautical miles southeast of the Dungeness fan marker. The impact occurred at an elevation of roughly 1,500 feet in a steep, wooded area. All five occupants perished in the accident. Investigators noted that some wreckage components appeared to have been removed from the site prior to their arrival.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the aircraft was mechanically sound and experienced no malfunctions before striking the terrain. The primary cause of the accident was a navigational error combined with poor judgment, as the pilot entered overcast conditions within a mountainous region at an altitude that was dangerously low for the terrain. Additionally, investigators found that the crew had deviated from their intended course by several miles and failed to maintain proper attention to flight duties, ultimately flying into instrument weather without the necessary clearance.