1952 — Nov 7, USAF C-119C Flying Boxcar crash (navigational error) ~Mt. McKinley, AK–all 19

— 19 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. “United States Air Force, 07 Nov 1952.”
— 19 Baugher. 1951 USAF Serial Numbers. 11-7-2011 rev.
— 19 Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, 54.
— 19 Williamsport Gazette and Bulletin (PA). “U.S. Air Force Plane Disappears…,” 11-8-1952.

Narrative Information

Baugher: “Fairchild C-119C-23-FA Flying Boxcar…2560 (c/n 10518) crashed into Mt McKinley Nov 7, 1951 [1952]. All 19 aboard killed.” (Baugher. 1951 USAF Serial Numbers. 11-7-2011 revision.)

Gero:
“Date 7 November 1952 (c.03:00)
“Location: Near Summit, Alaska
“Operator: US Air Force
“Aircraft type: Fairchild C-119C (51-2560A)

“During an intra-territorial Alaskan flight from Elmendorf Air Force Base, near Anchorage, to the town of Big Delta, the twin-engine transport crashed in the vicinity of Mount McKinley, some 150 miles (250km) south-west of Fairbanks.

“The wreckage was located about a week later at an approximate elevation of 12,000ft (3,700m), with no survivors among the 19 American military person¬nel aboard (14 passengers and a crew of five). Occurring in darkness and local weather conditions consisting of an overcast of 5,000ft (1,500m), a visibility of 15 miles (251(m) and a gentle breeze from a north-north-westerly direction, the accident apparently resulted from a navigational error. The course deviation that led to the crash may have resulted from the confusion between two radio range stations associated with precipitation static. A possible contributing factor was the absence on the aircraft of an additional automatic direction finder (ADF) or a high-frequency receiver, which could have been used for obtaining immediate fixes, coupled with insufficient navigational aids on the ground.” (Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, 54-55.)

Newspaper

Nov 8, AP: “FAIRBANKS, ALASKA (AP) – A big Air Force plane [51-2560A], one of 40 which flew to Alaska last week for “Exercise Warmwind” Arctic maneuvers, disappeared early yesterday with 19 men aboard. Flying from Elmendorf Field at Anchorage on Cook Inlet to the interior, the C119 “Flying Packet” gave a last radio report over Summit, Alaska… The weather was fair with good visibility and the plane was cleared to fly on to Nenana on a planned hop to Big Delta, 100 miles south of here. Five Air Force men from the 435th Troop Carrier Group of the Miami, Fla., International Airport and 14 Army men, ‘on temporary duty in Alaska in connection with Exercise Warmwind’ were aboard.” (Williamsport Gazette and Bulletin (PA). “U.S. Air Force Plane Disappears…,” 11-8-1952.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Accident Description. United States Air Force, Fairchild C-119C-22-FA Flying Boxcar, Mt. McKinley, AK, 07 Nov 1952. Accessed 2/19/2009 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19521107-0

Baugher, Joseph F. 1951 USAF Serial Numbers. Nov 7, 2011 update. Accessed 1-5-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1951.html

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

Williamsport Gazette and Bulletin, PA. “U.S. Air Force Plane Disappears in Alaska,” 11-8-1952, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=14683555