CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

BUREAU OF SAFETY INVESTIGATION

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT OF FACTS THUS FAR

DEVELOPED CONCERNING PACIFIC ALASKA AIR EXPRESS

DC-3 WHICH WAS REPORTED MISSING NOVEMBER 4, 1948, BETWEEN

YAKUTAT, ALASKA, AND SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

March 16, 1949

On November 4, 1948, a Pacific Alaska Air Express DC-3, NC-66637, was reported missing between Yakutat, Alaska, and Seattle, Washington, The aircraft had not been located since that date, and the fifteen passengers and two crew members are presumed lost.

At approximately 2226 * November 3, 1948, the aircraft departed Anchorage for Seattle, Washington, Via Homer, Yakutat, and Annette Island, Alaska, with a crew consisting of A. R. Kinnear, Pilot, and P. A. Wilson, copilot. The flight arrived at Yakutat, Alaska, at 0257, November 4, 1948, after a routing flight. The aircraft was refused at Yakutat, all tanks were filled to capacity, Approximately at 0407, MC-66637 took off from Zakutat with the same crew, fifteen passengers, 800 gallons of fuel, and as far as is known, no cargo. A position reported was received from the flight by Gustavus radio of 0510 reporting over the Cape Spencer intersection (146 miles southeast of Yakutat) and estimating Sitka (240 miles southeast of Yakatat) at 0544. This was the last communication received from the flight.

Approximately on hour after the flight was due over sitka, an emergency warning was issued by C. A. A. Communications to all radio station between Anchorage and Seattle. Also alerted was the Civil Aeronautics Board, the 10th Air and Sea Hescus Squadron, and the Coast Guard Air Facility. At 0700 the Coast Guard Air Facility dispatched a search plane to the Gape Spencer intersection area; however, there was no trace of the missing aircraft. Subsequently, from November 4 to November 23 an extensive search of the Sitka and Yakutat area was made by the Coast Guard and the 10th Air and Sea Rescue Squadron. A total of 230 hours of flight time was consumed in the organized search of the area. Since that time there have been sporadic searches by the 10th Air and See Rescue Squadron, the Coast Guard, and aircraft flying the route between Seattle and Anchorage. To date no evidence of the aircraft or of the survivors has been found.

All en route radio contact with NC-66637 were reported as normal. On November 5, 1948, the west course of Yakutat range was flight checked and found to be normal. The following day the southeast course of Gustavus (which forms Cape Spencer intersection) was checked and it was found aligned as publish. The Sitka range was found within tolerance.

At the time departure from Yakutat the weather was reported to be ceiling 5000 feet, scattered, visibility 100 miles, wind from the east at 15 mph. Annette Island weather at 0710, special, was high thin scattered, 2500 scattered and 15 miles, visibility. An aftercast revealed that the cloud base along the route was 3500 feet with tops at 9000 feet. The temperature ranged from a 23 degree at Yakutat to -180 degree C, at Annette Island and the relative humidity from 45 percent to 85 percent at the cruising altitude of 10,000 feet.

As part of the investigation, a public hearing was held February 28, 1948, at Anchorage, Alaska. Since all of the evidence could not be obtained at the time of the hearing the investigation will be continued. Upon completion there of a final report will be issued by the Civil Aeronautics Board.

FOOTNOTE

*.

All times referred to herein are Alaska Standard Time based on the 24-hour clock.