Accident Overview
At night, a twin-engine aircraft was flying at an altitude of 11,000 feet when it collided with the slope of Mount McKinley, located in Denali State Park. The aircraft was not following its assigned route at the time of the accident. The impact resulted in the deaths of all 19 occupants on board.
Rescue Response
First rescuers arrived at the scene a few hours after the accident. No further details about the rescue operation or recovery efforts are available from the investigation.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the aircraft was not following the assigned route, likely due to a navigational error by the flight crew caused by a faulty interpretation of two different radio stations. Additionally, the aircraft was not equipped with an Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) system nor a high-frequency receiver, which were considered factors contributing to the accident. The ground navigation aids in the area were also deemed poor.