All West Freight Fairchild C-123K plane crash
Mount Healy, Alaska, USA
Updated on
The Fairchild C-123 Provider cargo aircraft, operated by All West Freight originated at Palmer Wolf Lake Airport,AK, USA and was destined for Unalakleet, AK, USA. The plane crashed at the southern flanks of Mount Healy, Alaska, USA, about 1NM from the Denali National Park, about 180 miles north of Anchorage. The aircraft burst into flames on impact and disintegrated. Three crewmembers were onboard. All of them perished in the accident.
The flight was to carry a large generator to Unalakleet. The flight was performed according to visual flight rules, no flight plan had been filed, the crew was not in contact with air traffic control and no radar services were provided.
Numerous witnesses observed the plane flying slow and low (about 300-500 feet above the ground), flaps and gear were retracted, the engines were working. Cloud base was at about 3500-4000 feet. They observed the airplane pitch up to nearly vertical, roll left and nose dive toward the ground. A witness took two pictures, the first picture showed the airplane in straight and level flight, the second a few seconds later shows the airplane inverted in a near vertical descent just above the tree line.
The airplane impacted sloped wooded terrain adjacent to the park highway at an elevation of 2158 feet, the wreckage area is confined within 250 by 300 feet (75 by 90 meters). A post impact fire consumed most of the cockpit area, fuselage, inboard sections of the wings (around fuel tanks), both flaps, and damaged a majority of the tail section and outboard sections of the wings. The post impact fire also started a small forest fire around the main wreckage and to an area adjacent to the accident site.
The generator came to rest upright in the center of the wreckage consistent with its position in the cargo bay.
The owner of All West Freight, who was also a pilot of the C-123, was among those that were onboard.
