Valdez

The pilot received an instrument approach clearance to a non tower airport surrounded by mountainous terrain. Weather conditions on the ground were VFR, and the pilot descended through an overcast. The approach environment was not serviced by any atc radar facility. The pilot declared a missed approach to the appropriate faa flight service station, and was advised to contact ARTCC. ARTCC never received a radio transmission from the pilot. The airplane wreckage was located approximately 6 miles beyond the airport, slightly to the north of the extended runway centerline. Missed approach procedures were for an immediate climb, and then a climbing right turn to reverse direction away from the airport. The missed approach segment began 5.2 DME miles prior to the airport. Minimum descent altitude (MDA) for the approach was 4,320 feet msl (4,200 feet above the runway elevation); impact with mountainous terrain occurred at about the same altitude. All four occupants were killed.

During arrival in heavy traffic, Reeve flight 726 (Boeing 727) and Wilburs flight 304 (Cessna 402B, N969JW) received radar advisories for visual approaches to runways 06L and 06R, respectively. Subsequently, both flights were cleared to land. At 1555:04, the local tower controller transmitted that the wind at the approach end of runway 06R was from 340° at 9 knots and the midfield wind was 330° at 7 knots. At approximately 1557, flight 726 landed on runway 06L. Approximately 69 seconds later, as flight 304 was crossing the threshold (thr) of runway 06R at about 100 feet agl, the aircraft encountered wake turbulences (w/t) and rolled sharply to the right, byd 90°. The pilot corrected with aileron and power, but the aircraft lost altitude and hit the ground before recovery. The wind during the 1601 weather observation was 020° at 5 kts. Runway centerlines were 700 feet apart, threshold of runway 06L was 4,600 feet byd the threshold of runway 06R. The approach control did not advise either flight of the other's position, nor did the tower controller give a w/t advisory to flight 304. Calculations showed vortices could have drifted from runway 06L to runway 06R in as little as 28 seconds. FAA handbook addressed w/t advisory for parallel runway options with less than 2,500 feet separation, but did not address offset thresholds. All five occupants were injured.

The crew departed Eielson AFB southeast of Fairbanks on a training mission in the region of Valdez under callsign Mary 24. Following two successful approaches under MLS procedure, the crew started a third approach about four miles north of the prescribed MLS inbound course. While descending too low in poor visibility, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain and crashed. SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the three occupants was found. The wreckage was recovered by walkers on August 2, 1985.

En route from Kenai to Gulkana, the pilot failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the twin engine airplane crashed on a snow covered mountain located in the region of Valdez. SAR operations were quickly suspended due to risk of avalanches. Few days later, it was confirmed that both occupants did not survive the accident.

Shortly after takeoff from Valdez Airport, while climbing by night and in heavy snow falls, the airplane went into a nose-down attitude then plunged into the sea about a mile off shore. All six crew members were killed. They were conducting a local training flight on behalf of the Air National Guard.