Cordova

The airline transport pilot was landing a retractable landing gear-equipped turboprop airplane on a 10,900 foot long, by 150 foot wide paved runway. According to the pilot, while on approach to land, he selected 10 degrees of wing flaps, and then selected the landing gear selector switch to the down position, which was followed by "three greens", indicating the landing gear was down, locked, and safe for landing. He said that after touchdown, during the initial landing roll, the landing gear retracted, and the airplane slid on the underside of the fuselage. The airplane veered to the right of the runway centerline, and the right wing collided with numerous runway edge lights. A post crash fire ensued when the right wing's fuel tank was breached. The airplane received structural damage to the underside of the fuselage, and the right wing was destroyed. Propeller strike marks originated in the vicinity of the accident airplane's touchdown point, and extended to the airplane's final resting point, about 2,200 feet from initial contact. A postaccident inspection of the airplane by the IIC and another NTSB air safety investigator, disclosed no evidence of any pre accident mechanical malfunction of the landing gear assembly or its associated operating systems. The airplane was placed on jack stands and hydraulic pressure was supplied to the airplane's hydraulic system using a hydraulic ground power unit. The airplane's landing gear retraction system was cycled numerous times, with no mechanical anomalies noted.

While cruising unde VFR mode in poor weather conditions, the pilot lost control of the seaplane that entered a dive and crashed in flames in an isolated area located in the region of Cordova. SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the three occupants was found. The wreckage was eventually localized on May 21, 1979.

After takeoff from Cordova Airstrip, the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed in flames. Both occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

While descending to Cordova Airport, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions when the twin engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain shrouded in clouds and located few miles from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

Pacific Northern Flight 201 failed to maintain its intended track after taking off from Cordova, Alaska, bound for Anchorage, Alaska. Mt. Gilbert is approximately 28 nautical miles to the right of the flight's first intended checkpoint and is 9,646 feet in elevation. At an altitude of 9,000 feet, crashed into the sheer face of Mt. Gilbert, killing all nine passengers and five crew members.