Date & Time:
Jun 3, 1963 at 1016 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-7
Operator:
Registration:
N290
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
McChord – Elmendorf
MSN:
45209
YOM:
1957
Flight number:
NW293
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
95
Pax fatalities:
95
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
101
Captain / Total hours on type:
3665
Copilot / Total hours on type:
635
Aircraft flight hours:
17418
Circumstances:
A Northwest Airlines, Inc., Douglas DC-7C, N290 MATS charter Flight 293, crashed in the north Pacific Ocean approximately 116 nautical miles west-southwest of Annette Island, Alaska, at approximately 1816 G.m.t., June 3, 1963. The flight departed McChord AFB, Washington, for Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, carrying 95 passengers and a crew of 6. The passenger list included military personnel, dependents, Department of Defense employees and a Red Cross employee. All occupants of the aircraft were lost at sea and the aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft had been airborne approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes when radio contact was lost. No difficulties were reported by the crew prior to this time. The wreckage was sighted by a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft at 0322 C.m.t., June 4, 1963, at 54 degrees 21' N - 134 degrees 39' W but no survivors were observed. Approximately 1,500 pounds of floating aircraft wreckage was recovered.
Probable cause:
Because of a lack of evidence the Board is unable to determine the probable cause of this accident.
Final Report:
N290.pdf816.15 KB
