Douglas DC-3 accident at Between Yakutat, Alaska and Seattle, Washington, 4 Nov 1948

Accident narrative

On November 4, 1948, a Pacific Alaska Air Express Douglas DC-3 disappeared while en route from Yakutat, Alaska, to Seattle, Washington. The aircraft was never found, and the 15 passengers and two crew members aboard were presumed lost.

### The flight

The flight originated in Anchorage on November 3, departing at 2226 Alaska Standard Time for Seattle with scheduled stops in Homer, Yakutat, and Annette Island.

The crew consisted of Captain Andrew R. Kinnear and Copilot Richard A. Wilson. Captain Kinnear held an airline transport pilot rating and had 3,600 hours of total flying time, including 3,200 hours in multi-engine equipment. Copilot Wilson was employed by the company as a pilot mechanic. While company records indicated Wilson held a multi-engine and instrument rating with 1,800 hours of flight time, Civil Aeronautics Administration records showed he held only a student pilot certificate and an airframe and engine mechanic license.

The DC-3 arrived at Yakutat at 0257 on November 4 without incident. The crew filed an instrument flight plan for the next leg to Annette Island, specifying a cruising altitude of 10,000 feet. At 0407, the flight departed Yakutat with 15 passengers, 800 gallons of fuel, and no cargo. The aircraft was properly loaded and its weight was within certified limits.

At 0510, the flight made a routine position report to Gustavus Radio. The crew reported cruising at 10,000 feet, 146 miles southeast of Yakutat, and estimated arriving over Sitka at 0544. This was the final communication received from the aircraft.

### Search and investigation

Approximately one hour after the flight's estimated arrival time over Sitka, an emergency warning was issued. The Coast Guard and the 10th Air and Sea Rescue Squadron conducted extensive air searches of the Sitka and Yakutat areas. No reliable evidence of the airplane or survivors was found, although small pieces of material identified only as coming from a transport-type aircraft were discovered near Chicagof Island, 184 miles southeast of Yakutat.

The Civil Aeronautics Board investigation found that the aircraft was in satisfactory operating condition when it departed Yakutat. The previous crew had reported the airplane "mechanically O.K." on November 2, and the accident crew made no complaints of mechanical difficulty at Anchorage or Yakutat. The airplane's maintenance records were aboard the flight and lost. Flight checks of the Yakutat, Gustavus, and Sitka radio ranges on November 5 and 6 found them to be operating normally.

The Anchorage forecaster had provided full weather information to the crew, though investigators found no record of the crew obtaining further weather data at Yakutat. Weather data indicated scattered clouds between Yakutat and Sitka, with broken to overcast layers south of Sitka. Light rain showers along the route reduced ceilings to 2,000 feet and surface visibility to eight miles.

The Board noted that at the cruising altitude of 10,000 feet, temperatures ranged from -23 degrees centigrade at Yakutat to -18 degrees centigrade at Annette Island. The Board analyzed that at this altitude, the airplane would have been in ice clouds, which would not constitute an icing problem, and the temperature was too low for carburetor icing.

### Probable cause

Because the aircraft was proceeding normally on course at its last report and weather conditions were not conducive to icing, the Board concluded it lacked reliable evidence to determine what happened.

The Civil Aeronautics Board stated: "There is not sufficient evidence for the Board to make any determination as to the probable cause for this accident."