Douglas C-54/DC-4 N96361

Summary

On 24 December 1986 at about 02:00 local time, a Douglas C-54/DC-4 registered N96361, operated by West Coast Air Cargo, was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

24 December 1986 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pacific Ocean, Washington, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Douglas C-54/DC-4

Registration

N96361

Category

Airplane

Engines

4

Operator

West Coast Air Cargo

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arlington → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA87LA041

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PLT REPTD THAT HE DITCHED HIS DC-4 IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 23 AFTER EXPERIENCING AN UNCONTROLLABLE NO. 3 ENG FIRE AT THE CONCLUSION OF A TNG FLT. THE DITCHING OCCURRED IN DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS WITH MINIMAL 10 FOOT SWELLS HAVING A PERIOD OF APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS AND THE ACRFT WAS REPTD TO HAVE REMAINED AFLOAT APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER THE DITCHING. ALTHOUGH THE FLT PENETRATED THE PACIFIC COASTAL ADIZ ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS NO RADAR EVIDENCE CORROBORATED THE PENETRATIONS NOR WAS THERE ANY RECEIPT OF THE PLTS MAYDAY ON 121.5 MHZ. NO WRECKAGE HAS BEEN OBSERVED ALONG THE WASHINGTON SHORELINE SINCE THE EVENT. WX CONDTNS AT 1750 HRS PST WITHIN 20 MILES OF THE DITCHING WERE REPTD AS MEASURED 900 FOOT OVCST WITH 1.5 MILES VIS IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. SFC WINDS PREVAILED FROM THE SOUTHEAST YET THE TWO PLTS REPTDLY DRIFTED NORTHEAST COVERING A DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 14 NAUTICAL MILES VIA RAFT IN 16 HOURS. THE BOARD'S FINDINGS SURROUNDING THIS EVENT REMAIN UNDETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.