Alaska Air Fuel Crash



Narrative: Crew of fuel plane reported fire just before fatal crash near Fairbanks

Federal officials say the pilots of a cargo plane carrying thousands of gallons of fuel reported a fire just after taking off from Fairbanks Tuesday, then tried to turn back before they died in a fiery crash along the Tanana River.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in an incident report Wednesday that both pilots of the Douglas C-54, a four-engine propeller plane, were killed at about 10 a.m. Tuesday in the crash roughly seven miles south of Fairbanks International Airport.

Officials have not yet identified the two people killed in the crash or the cause of the onboard fire.

The flight was operated by Alaska Air Fuel, according to Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board’s Alaska chief. The Wasilla-based company could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

According to Johnson, the C-54 was carrying 3,200 gallons of fuel oil bound for Kobuk, a small community roughly 300 miles away in the Northwest Arctic Borough. The plane had an additional 1,300 gallons of aviation gas in its own fuel tanks.

Blancolirio: N3054V DC-4 Alaska Crash 23 April, 2024

Flight Information

Aircraft: DC-4 or DC-3 Recommended
Flight Plan: The following flight listing is flight history for the Air Fuel DC-4. Actual airports aren't always known as FlightAware only shows "located nearby" data.

Note that DC-4 landing distance is around 3300 minimum, so it might be a difficult takeoff/landing at several locations.
Description:
Suggested flight: Daytime, clear weather.


Flight Code Origin Destination Distance(NM) Orig Airport Dest Airport Rwy Lgth
903093PAFAPAWS199.9Fairbanks IntlWasilla3700
903094PAWSPATA226.9WasillaCalhoun Airport - Tanana4400
903095PATAPAOB156.4Calhoun Airport - TananaKobuk4020
903096PAOBPFNO97.4KobukCurtis Airport - Noorvik4000
903097PFNOPAOT37.4Curtis Airport - NoorvikWien Airport - Kotzebue6300
903098PAOTPAFM111.9Wien Airport - KotzebueAmbler Airport4000
903099PAFMPAOB25.3Ambler AirportKobuk4020
903100PAOBPATA156.4KobukCalhoun Airport - Tanana4400
903101PATAPAFA109.9Calhoun Airport - TananaFairbanks Intl11800
903102PAFAPAMH128.2Fairbanks IntlMinchumina Airport4184
903103PAMHPAWS158.2Minchumina AirportWasilla3700
903104PAWSPAEN77.7WasillaKenai7855
903105PAENPAKX94KenaiWilder -Port Alsworth3849
903106PAKXAK96186.9Wilder -Port AlsworthBriggs - Ugashik5000
903107AK96PAIL154.9Briggs - UgashikIliamna5086
903108PAILPARS223.2IliamnaRussian Mission3620
903109PARSPASW286.3Russian MissionSkwentna3400
903110PASW5AK071.1SkwentnaTrading Bay4500
9031115AK0TYE25Trading BayTyonek Airport3000
903112TYEPAWS54.5Tyonek AirportWasilla3700