What happened
On a scheduled cargo and passenger flight from Nome to Savoonga and Gambell, Alaska, a Fairchild F27B operated by Wien Air Alaska departed Savoonga for its final leg. The aircraft was carrying 32 people, including 28 passengers and 4 crewmembers. Upon departing Savoonga, the crew contacted an agent at Gambell to request weather updates. The agent reported visibility between 0.5 and 1 mile due to fog.
As the flight approached Gambell, the pilot noted the presence of heavy fog and initiated several landing attempts. During these maneuvers, witnesses observed the aircraft flying at low altitudes over the tundra and performing a low pass down the runway before turning toward the sea. While some survivors believed the aircraft had touched down during one attempt, cockpit voice recorder data indicated the crew executed a missed approach because they were too far down the runway to land safely.
Following the missed approach, the aircraft performed a series of turns. Flight data showed the plane descended to within feet of the ground surface. During a turn, the aircraft maintained a heading of 140 degrees for approximately 28 seconds. The aircraft flew over a beach and near local structures before striking Sevuokuk Mountain at an altitude of 424 feet. The impact destroyed the aircraft, resulting in 10 fatalities (three crewmembers and seven passengers) and leaving the remaining occupants injured.
Findings
Investigation into the accident revealed that the weather conditions in the vicinity were below the authorized minimums required for an instrument approach. The flight crew failed to follow established company instrument approach procedures while attempting to land in the adverse fog. Additionally, it was noted that the runway rotating light beacon was non-operational at the time of the incident.