Douglas DC-6B N861TA
2 January 1998 · McGrath, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 January 1998 at about 19:26 local time, a Douglas DC-6B registered N861TA was involved in an accident near McGrath, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:26
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- McGrath, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Nixon Fork Mine Strip (NFR)
- Coordinates
- 63.6103, -154.7794
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-6B
- Registration
- N861TA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 4
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 125: 20+ Pax,6000+ lbs
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Nixon Fork Mine → Palmer
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC98LA014
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The ingestion of snow into the windshield anti-ice system, and the resulting obscured windshield which made runway alignment not possible. Factors associated with this accident were the cold windshield, the reduced performance of the windshield anti-ice because of the short taxi by the crew, and the insufficient information on the system provided by the manufacturer.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During the takeoff roll, while passing 45 knots indicated airspeed, ice formed between the inner and outer panes of the airplane's windshield, obscuring the crew's vision. The flight crew aborted the takeoff, the airplane drifted off the left side of the snow covered runway, and caught fire. The crew reported the airplane and windshield were cold soaked and the temperature was -10 degrees Fahrenheit. The windshield anti-ice system blows air from a combustion heater between the windshield glass panes. The air source for the heater, once the airplane has forward airspeed, is two leading edge wing scoops. The crew told the NTSB investigator that the taxi time was too short for the windshield to warm up, and that during the taxi, snow was circulated around the airplane and into the wing scoops.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Douglas DC-6B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2001 | Douglas DC-6B | Crooked Creek, Alaska, United States | Everts Air Fuel, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2001 | Douglas DC-6B | Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 1992 | Douglas DC-6B | Selawik, Alaska, United States | Everts, Cliff | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 May 1990 | Douglas DC-6B | Guatemala City, Guatemala | Aerial Transit | Fatal | 3 |
| 3 Dec 1989 | Douglas DC-6B | George Town, Bahamas | Ilpo | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2011 | Douglas DC-6B | Cold Bay, Alaska, United States | Universal Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 1998 | Boeing 747-400 | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Asiana Airlines | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Nov 1998 | Piper PA-12 | Willow, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Feb 1998 | Cessna 207 | Homer, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Nov 1998 | Piper PA-18-150 | Kenai, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 1998 | Taylorcraft BL12 | Sitka, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 14 May 1998 | Cessna 208 | Nome, Alaska, United States | Baker Aviation Inc. | Serious injuries | - |