What happened
On the morning of the accident, a Fairchild F-27, registration N2712, was scheduled for a multi-stop flight beginning in Klamath Falls and traveling through Medford, North Bend, and Portland. Due to active snowfall at the departure airport, the aircraft was initially staged inside a hangar rather than on the external ramp. A delay occurred during the pushback process because the tow tractor struggled with traction on the snowy ground. Consequently, the airframe remained exposed to falling snow for approximately 11 minutes before it could taxi toward runway 14.
The flight departed at 05:01. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft began a gradual drift to the left after traveling roughly 1,000 feet. The nose gear lifted from the surface 600 feet before the main landing gear, at a position halfway between the runway centerline and the left edge lights. For a distance of 250 feet leading up to rotation, the left main gear was positioned approximately 12 feet outside the left runway boundary. Immediately after liftoff, the aircraft underwent sharp lateral oscillations, swerving right and then back to the left.
During the initial climb, the aircraft maintained a leftward drift despite various attempts at course correction by the crew. After reaching an altitude of 5,250 feet, the plane's altitude decreased to 4,700 feet. The flight ended when the aircraft struck a steep ridge on the northwest slope of Stukel Mountain at an elevation of 5,049 feet. The impact occurred with the right wing in a low position, causing the aircraft to cartwheel up the 30-degree slope. The accident resulted in four fatalities and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the primary reason for the accident was the accumulation of ice on the airframe surfaces, which led to a loss of control. It was determined that maintenance personnel failed to apply deicing fluid to the aircraft prior to departure, and the pilot did not mandate the necessary deicing procedures despite the snowy conditions.