avia.wikisort.org - Event

Wien Air Alaska Flight 99 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight in Alaska to St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea. On approach to Gambell on 30 August 1975, it crashed into Sevuokuk Mountain, east of the airport's runway. Of the 32 on board, ten were killed, including the pilot and co-pilot. The Fairchild F-27B aircraft was operated by Wien Air Alaska.

Wien Air Alaska: Flight 99

Fairchild F-27 aircraft
Accident
Date	30 August 1975 1:57 pm BDT
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain in fog, pilot error
Site	Gambell, Alaska, U.S. 63.765°N 171.708°W / 63.765; -171.708
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Fairchild F-27B
Operator	Wien Air Alaska
Registration	N4904
Flight origin	Nome, Alaska
1st stopover	Savoonga, Alaska
Destination	Gambell Airport, Gambell, Alaska
Occupants	32
Passengers	28
Crew	4
Fatalities	10
Injuries	22
Survivors	22

Flight

Flight 99 originated in Nome on Saturday, 30 August 1975, bound for Savoonga and Gambell. The flight from Nome to Savoonga was uneventful, and the plane departed Savoonga for Gambell at 1:27 pm Bering daylight time.[1] As Gambell did not have a control tower, the Wien agent at Gambell, upon hearing the plane radio its departure from Savoonga, turned on the non-directional beacon at Gambell to aid the flight's crew in navigation.

Fog was prevalent in the Gambell area, and the crew discussed strategies to land at the airport. After several missed approaches, the plane flew north over the community, and turned east, and then south to make one final pass. The plane passed over Troutman Lake east of Gambell, and turned south, before impacting Sevuokuk Mountain at an elevation of 424 feet (130 m).[1]

After impact, the plane broke apart and was propelled up the mountain approximately 132 feet (40 m), coming to rest inverted. A fire broke out, and the residents of the village came to aid,[2][3] attempting to put the fire out with hand-held extinguishers.[1] All but one of the injured passengers were able to escape the wreckage. Most of the injured or killed passengers were natives of Nome, Gambell, or Savoonga.[4]

Cause

The cause of the crash, according to the NTSB, was improper IFR (Instrument flight rules) operation, failing to adhere to instrument approach procedures. The airplane collided with a mountain on a missed approach to landing, after multiple missed approaches. The weather at the airport was unsafe for landing, with a low ceiling and sea fog.[1][5]

References

External links

• Accident Description at the Aviation Safety Network

На других языках

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- [en] Wien Air Alaska Flight 99

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[it] Volo Wien Air Alaska 99

Il volo Wien Air Alaska 99 era un volo di linea passeggeri interno nello stato dell'Alaska verso l'isola di St. Lawrence nel mare di Bering. Durante l'avvicinamento a Gambell il 30 agosto 1975 si schiantò sul monte Sevuokuk, a est della pista dell'aeroporto. Dei 32 a bordo in dieci persero la vita, compreso il pilota e il copilota. Il Fairchild F-27B era operato dalla Wien Air Alaska.

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