1978 — Aug 25, Webber Air charter crash, Sumner Strait, NW of Prince of Wales Isl., AK–12
–12 AP. “Plane Crash Kills 12 Near Petersburg,” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK, 8-28-1978, p.1.
–12 AP. “Probers say airplane in Point Baker crash had too many riders.” Daily Sentinel, Sitka, 8-29-1978, p. 1.
–12 Aviation Safety Network. ASN Wikibase Occurrence #9684. Flight Safety Foundation.
–12 Kiffer. “Fatal Plane Crashes Average One a Year.” SitNews, Ketchikan AK, 8-25-2007.[1]
–12 Liefer, G. P. Broken Wings: Tragedy & Disaster in Alaska Civil Aviation, 2003, p. 151.
–12 NTSB. NTSB Identification: ANC78FA067. “Nonscheduled operation of Webber Airline.”
–11 UPI. “Plane Crash Kills Eleven Off Alaska.” Tyrone Daily Herald, PA, 8-26-1978, p. 1.
Narrative Information
NTSB Brief:
Date: 78/8/25
Location: NR. [near?] Labouchere Bay, AK
Intended destination: Ketchikan AK
Flight purpose: Commercial Air Taxi
Type of Accident: Undetermined.
Probable Cause: Undetermined.
Aug 26: “Ketchikan, Alaska (UPI) — Eleven people were believed killed Friday in the crash of a twin-engine amphibian airplane that plunged into Sumner Strait off the northern tip of Prince of Wales Island. A spokesman at Coast Guard search and rescue headquarters at Juneau said five bodies were recovered from the wreckage of the Grumman Goose charter flight operated by the Webber Air Service line. The spokesman said a sixth body was sighted by a helicopter crew but was apparently lost as they went down to recover it. Officials said there were 11 people aboard the craft and none of them was believed to have survived.
“The search suspended Friday night [Aug 25] because of darkness, resumed at first light today with two Coast Guard cutters and a helicopter on the scene.
“The spokesman said the wreckage of the plane was sighted by a fishing vessel in waters about 100 miles northwest of Ketchikan at 4:24 p.m. PDT.
“The flight originated in Ketchikan and was scheduled to make three stops before returning to Ketchikan. It was not yet known how many of the stops were made before the crash.
“The five bodies were recovered by a Coast Guard helicopter based at Sitka.
“A representative of the Webber Air Service office at Ketchikan declined to comment on the crash. ‘There is no one here who can give any information at this time,’ the Webber representative said.” (UPI. “Plane Crash Kills Eleven Off Alaska.” Tyrone Daily Herald, PA, 8-26-1978, pp. 1-2.)
Aug 28: “Petersburg, Alaska (AP) — State and federal authorities have begun a probe of a light plane crash that is believed to have claimed 12 lives in Southeast Alaska. Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigators started work Sunday in cooperation with Alaska state troopers.
“Coast Guard spokesman Dan Dewell said four bodies had been recovered but that all 12 persons aboard were believed killed. A search of the area has been suspended, he said.
“Troopers were trying to identify the four bodies found floating near an oil slick and debris from the plane about two miles east of Point Baker on Prince of Wales Island.
“A preliminary investigation indicated the plane, a Grumman Goose, took off from Labouchere Bay on Friday, then headed around the north end of Prince Wales Island and crashed before it reached its first stop on a return trip to Ketchikan, Dewell said.
“The plane, owned by Webber Airlines of Ketchikan, crashed into the ocean and apparently exploded, Dewell said.
“Officials originally believed 11 persons were on board the return flight from Labouchere Bay to Ketchikan, about 75 miles to the southeast, but later said a Sitka man apparently had boarded the plane at an intermediate stop.
“On board the plane were pilot Jack Swaim, 40, of Ketchikan, one of the owners of Webber Airlines;[2] Peggy Murphy, about 53, of Labouchere Bay, where her husband works as a logger; Mildred Manty, 67, of Ketchikan, an itinerant nurse with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services; and Jean Gaedecke, 30, of Ketchikan; Daniel Kwapich, 21, a student at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks; Bert White, 58, Sitka; Jerry Kowalski, 26, Ketchikan, formerly of New York state; Gene Gray, 27, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Dwain Yothers, 38, Ketchikan; Jerry Macious, Ketchikan, formerly of Illinois; and Norman Peru, Ketchikan.” (AP. “Plane Crash Kills 12 Near Petersburg,” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK, 8-28-1978, p. 1.)
Aug 29: “Ketchikan, Alaska (AP) — Federal investigators say an amphibious plane was overloaded when it crashed into the water and killed 12 persons last Friday. Jerry Dennis, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator, says the Grumman Goose…was carrying one more passenger than authorized when it plunged into the sea near Prince of Wales Island. The aircraft, Dennis told the Ketchikan Daily News Monday, was restricted to a pilot and 10 passengers instead of the 11 passengers actually on board….
“So far, investigators have recovered only about 20 small bags of debris from the aircraft, including only one hand-sized piece of metal from the aircraft itself.
“Herman Ludwigsen, Webber’s chief pilot, acknowledged that the plane may have been overloaded according to FAA regulations, but contended that it was well within operating limits. Ludwigsen said the Goose had been certified to operate with 13 persons aboard until several years ago when the FAA lowered the limit. In any event, Ludwigsen said, the load had no relationship to the crash.”[3] (Associated Press. “Probers Say Airplane in Point Baker Crash Had Too Many Riders.” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK, 8-29-1978, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Plane Crash Kills 12 Near Petersburg,” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK, 8-28-1978, p.1. Accessed 12-29-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sitka-daily-sentinel-aug-28-1978-p-1/
Associated Press. “Probers Say Airplane in Point Baker Crash Had Too Many Riders.” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AK, 8-29-1978, p. 1. Accessed 12-29-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/sitka-daily-sentinel-aug-29-1978-p-1/
Aviation Safety Network. ASN Wikibase Occurrence #9684. Flight Safety Foundation. Accessed 12-29-2017 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=9684
Kiffer. Dave. “Fatal Plane Crashes Average One a Year.” SitNews, Ketchikan AK, 8-25-2007. Accessed 12-29-2017 at: http://www.sitnews.us/Kiffer/CrashHistory/082507_fatal_crashes.html
Liefer, G. P. Broken Wings: Tragedy & Disaster in Alaska Civil Aviation. Blaine, WA: Hancock House, 2003.
National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Identification: ANC78FA067. “Nonscheduled operation of Webber Airline.” Washington, DC: NTSB, no date. Accessed 12-29-2017 at: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=39681&key=0
United Press International. “Plane Crash Kills Eleven Off Alaska.” Tyrone Daily Herald, PA, 8-26-1978, pp. 1-2. Accessed 12-29-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/tyrone-daily-herald-aug-26-1978-p-1/
[1] Notes that “the FAA was never able to determine an exact cause.” Also notes that three days later, on Aug 28, a Cessna out of Ketchikan crashed on way to Wrangell killing two people; then on Aug 30 “a Beech with six people on board on their way from Prince George B.C. to Ketchikan crashed killing all aboard.” Then in October a Ketchikan plane crashed killing the pilot. Finally, in November, “a Beaver flying for Tyee Airlines crashed on its way to Hydaburg, killing all five aboard.”
[2] Liefer notes that Swaim “was not instrument certified.” Also notes: “There was also no evidence of Swaim receiving the required annual recurrent training in the Grumman amphibian, as specified in his company’s operations manual.” (p. 153.)
[3] Liefer writes that “The aircraft was flying under a special operating limitation that specified a maximum gross weight of 8,920 pounds, based on single-engine capability. Gross weight at takeoff from Labouchere Bay was determined by the accident investigator to be at a minimum of 400 pounds above maximum, and possibly more….This was not the first time Webber Airlines had exceeded the requirement.”