What happened
During a nighttime flight at an altitude of 11,000 feet, a twin engine aircraft struck the side of Mount McKinley within Denali State Park. The impact occurred while the aircraft was navigating the mountainous terrain. Emergency responders reached the crash site several hours after the event. There were no survivors among the 19 fatalities recorded from the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the crew was not adhering to the designated flight path at the time of the collision. This deviation was likely the result of a navigational error stemming from the crew's incorrect interpretation of signals from two separate radio stations.
Several technical and environmental factors contributed to the accident:
- The aircraft lacked an Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) system.
- The plane was not equipped with a high frequency receiver.
- Ground-based navigation aids in the area were noted to be of poor quality.