Douglas C54D accident near Fairbanks, AK
On April 23, 2024, a Douglas C54D (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, AK. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 23, 2024
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Aircraft
- Douglas C54D · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 64.745°N, 148.080°W
- NTSB ID
- 20240423194141
Official records · ANC24FA029
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 23, 2024, about 1003 Alaska daylight time, a Douglas C54D-DC airplane, N3054V, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska. The two pilots were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by Alaska Air Fuel Corporation as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. The purpose of the flight was to transport 3,400 gallons of unleaded fuel and two 100-gallon propane tanks from Fairbanks International Airport (FAI), to Kobuk Airport (OBU), Kobuk, Alaska. The airplane departed about 0955. An eyewitness reported seeing the airplane flying to the west and stated that the far left engine was not running. They also noticed a small, white plume of smoke coming from that engine. The airplane started to turn to the south, and at that point he noticed that the engine was on fire. About three minutes after departure, the pilot reported to air traffic control that there was a fire onboard and began a left turn back to the airport. Video surveillance showed white smoke begin to develop behind the No. 1 engine, followed by flames. Seconds later, a bright white explosion could be seen just behind the No. 1 engine. The airplane then entered an uncontrolled, descending left turn into terrain. The No. 1 engine separated from the wing about 100 ft above the ground and landed on a frozen river. About two minutes later, the video showed a large explosion. The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) detected multiple low-frequency sound (infrasound) signals associated with the accident. Based on the data collected by UAF, the first expl
Probable cause
A loss of power of the No. 1 engine for reasons that could not be determined, and the incorrect installation of a B-nut fitting in the propeller feathering system, which allowed engine oil to spray onto the exhaust system when the propeller was feathered following the loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was an incorrectly repaired fuel leak, which resulted in an explosion that separ
From Wikipedia
On April 23, 2024, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster operated by Alaska Air Fuel crashed near the Tanana River shortly after takeoff, killing both crew members. The aircraft, transporting fuel from Fairbanks International Airport in Fairbanks, Alaska, to Kobuk Airport in Kobuk, Alaska, suffered a failure on the outboard engine on the left wing shortly after takeoff. The crew attempted to resolve the failure and return to the airport, but a fuel explosion resulted in part of the aircraft's aileron controls separating. The crew were unable to recover from the subsequent loss of control.
The investigation, conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), found that the maintenance done to the left outboard engine did not fix the dripping fuel tank located behind the engine, causing fuel to drip into the space between it and the engine. The wreckage showed that the nut used to connect the propeller feathering was incorrectly installed.
Text from Wikipedia, “2024 Alaska Air Fuel Douglas C-54 crash”, CC BY-SA 4.0; shortened to the introduction. Authors.
More accidents in AK
- Beech 1900C, Nov 23, 1987
- Textron Aviation Inc 208B, Feb 6, 2025
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jul 7, 2013
- Cessna 208, Oct 10, 2001
- Dehavilland DHC-3, Jun 25, 2015
Browse: Alaska · Douglas aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
