1973 — Dec 11, US Navy Douglas R6D-1 Crash, Great Sitkin Island (Adak approach), AK-10

–10  AP. “10 Die in Plane Crash.” News-Herald, Willoughby, OH, 12-12-1973, p. 1.

–10  AP. “10 Men Feared Killed in Alaska Plane Crash.” Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK, 12-13-1973, 3.

–10  AP. “Weather blocks Adak recovery efforts.” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK, 12-15-1973, 2.

–10  ASN. Accident description. Tuesday 11 December 1973, Douglas R6D-1 (DC-6).

–10  Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas DC-6 in Adak: 10 Killed.”

–10  Liefer, G. P. Broken Wings: Tragedy & Disaster in Alaska Civil Aviation. 2003, p. 169.

–10  UPI. “2 Navy Stations Hold Services.” Raleigh Register, Beckley, WV, 12-18-1973, p. 15.

 

Narrative Information

 

Dec 12: “Adak, Alaska (AP) — All 10 men aboard a Christmas Special transport plane are believed to have died when it crashed on Great Sitkin Island, the Navy says. The four-engine C118[1] crashed Tuesday night as it made a landing approach to Adak on a mission to ferry Navy personnel there home for the Christmas holidays.”[2] (Associated Press. “10 Die in Plane Crash.” News-Herald, Willoughby, OH, 12-12-1973, p. 1.)

 

Dec 13: “Adak, Alaska (AP) — Spokesmen for the Adak Island rescue coordination center said this morning renewed efforts will be made to land at the crash site of a Navy transport plane on Great Sitka Island 25 miles northeast of Adak. The spokesmen said searchers were unable to land at the site Wednesday [Dec 12] but that all 10 men aboard the ill-fated Christmas leave plane are believed to have died.

 

“The four-engine C118 crashed Tuesday night as it made a landing approach to Adak on a mission to ferry Navy personnel there home for the Christmas holidays. It was based  at the Whidbey Island, Wash., Naval Air Station.

 

“Searchers spotted the wreckage of the aircraft at the 4,700 foot level on Great Sitkin Island, 25 miles northeast of Adak, on Wednesday, but helicopters were unable to land at the site because of turbulent winds. A Navy spokesman said there were no signs of survivors.

 

“The plane left Whidbey Island Tuesday morning and made a refueling stop at Elmendorf Air Force Base at Anchorage, Alaska, before heading on to Adak. It was last heard from 40 miles out from Adak.

 

“Eight of the 10 men aboard were Navy reservists, most of them from the Seattle area. The other two were active Navy personnel.

 

“The Navy identified the pilot of the downed aircraft as Lt. Cmdr. David M. Monroe of Seattle, a reservist and a pilot for Northwest Airlines. The Navy said the two active Navy men aboard were Aviation Electronics Technician 1.C. Alfred H. Dahlgren and Aviation Electronics Technician 1.C. David J. Dobesh, both of Oak Harbor, Wash. The other reservists were identified as Lt. Cmdr. James H. Owendy of Everett, Wash., a pilot for Alaska Airlines; Lt. Cmdr. George P. Varver Jr. of Seattle, a pilot for Pan American Airways; Lt. Cmdr. Felix Skievaski, Jr., of Federal Way, Wash.; Lt. Donald E. Wendling, a UCLA graduate student; Lt. Michael D. Robinson of Bellevue, Wash.; Chief Aviation Electronics Technician Floyd J. Badgett of Sumner, Wash.; and Chief Aviation…[unclear] Mate Olen L. Vickery of El Paso, Tex.” (AP. “10 Men Feared Killed in Alaska Plane Crash.” Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK, 12-13-1973, p. 3.)

 

Dec 15: “Adak (AP) — Rescue Coordination Center spokesmen at the Adak Naval Air Station say recovery efforts were fruitless Friday [Dec 14] at the crash site of a four-engine Navy transport on Great Sitkin Island….The RCC spokesman said helicopters attempted to land medical and investigation team members but were thwarted by high wind, cloud cover and snowfall. A helicopter was able to land at the site Wednesday to determine that none of the crew members survived the crash….Recovery team members said the Liftmaster virtually disintegrated when it hit Great Sitkin at about the 4,700-foot level. Debris was reported scattered over a wide area.” (AP. “Weather blocks Adak recovery efforts.” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK, 12-15-1973, p. 2.)

 

Dec 17: “Adak, Alaska (AP) — A spokesman for the rescue coordination center on Adak Island said today no further attempts will be made to recover the bodies of crewmen killed in a plane crash on Great Sitkin Island until weather conditions improve. He said recovery efforts continued over the weekend but that high winds, cloud cover and snowfall prevented recovery teams from landing at the 4,700-foot level crash site….” (Associated Press. “Adak recovery effort halts.” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK, 12-17-1973, p. 1.)

 

Dec 18: “Seattle, Wash. (UPI) — Two Naval air stations held memorial services in Washington State Sunday [Dec 16] for 10 crewmen killed in the crash of a C118 plane at…Alaska’s Great Sitkin Island. Search and rescue teams were turned back from the site….A Naval spokesman said it may be spring before the bodies are recovered and a search made of the scene. The men were flying a Naval Reserve C118 to Adak to pick up Navy personnel for Christmas leave when the plane smashed into a volcano…Eight of the 10 men were reservists stationed at Whidbey. The other two were Navy regulars.” (UPI. “2 Navy Stations Hold Services.” Raleigh Register, Beckley, WV, 12-18-1973, p. 15.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “10 Die in Plane Crash.” News-Herald, Willoughby, OH, 12-12-1973, p. 1. Accessed 12-30-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/willoughby-news-herald-dec-12-1973-p-41/

 

Associated Press. “10 Men Feared Killed in Alaska Plane Crash.” Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK, 12-13-1973, p. 3. Accessed 12-30-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sitka-daily-sentinel-dec-13-1973-p-3/

 

Associated Press. “Adak recovery effort halts.” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK, 12-17-1973, p. 1. Accessed 12-30-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-17-1973-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Weather blocks Adak recovery efforts.” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK, 12-15-1973, p. 2. Accessed 12-30-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/fairbanks-daily-news-miner-dec-15-1973-p-2/

 

Aviation Safety Network. Accident description. Tuesday 11 December 1973, Douglas R6D-1 (DC-6). Flight Safety Foundation. Accessed 12-30-2017 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19731211-0

 

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A), Geneva, Switzerland. “Crash of a Douglas DC-6 in Adak: 10 Killed.” Accessed 12-30-2017 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-dc-6-adak-10-killed

 

Liefer, G. P. Broken Wings: Tragedy & Disaster in Alaska Civil Aviation. Blaine, WA: Hancock House, 2003.

 

United Press International. “2 Navy Stations Hold Services.” Raleigh Register, Beckley, WV, 12-18-1973, p. 15. Accessed 12-30-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/raleigh-register-dec-18-1973-p-15/

 

 

[1] The DC-6 was referred to as a C-118 Liftmaster in the US Air Force and as a R6D in the US Navy. (Wikipedia)

[2] Later reports make it clear that the plane was to pick up men at Adak in order for them to go home for Christmas.