Date & Time:
Jul 21, 1942 at 1730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Grumman G-21A Goose
Operator:
Registration:
917
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Yakutat - Anchorage
MSN:
1016
YOM:
1938
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Based in Patricia Bay, the seaplane was engaged in an operational flight between Yakutat and Anchorage. En route, it ran into bad weather. The pilot, on instruments, attempted to pick up shore line but found himself over land. He started a 50° turn toward the sea when he saw trees close below. He stopped the turn, open the throttles and pulled the nose up. At this point, the hull began shearing the tree tops. The airplane descended into trees and crashed in a dense wooded area located near Yakataga. A crew was killed instantly while six others were injured. Few days later, a second crew member died.
Crew:
F/O P. H. Gault, pilot,
S/Sgt R. B. Roberts, wireless operator,
Cpl Thomas Brown Donald, observer. †
Passengers:
S/Sgt F. M. Baily,
Aci T. S. Silberman,
Aci John McIntosh, †
Aci W. E. Maylor.
Crew:
F/O P. H. Gault, pilot,
S/Sgt R. B. Roberts, wireless operator,
Cpl Thomas Brown Donald, observer. †
Passengers:
S/Sgt F. M. Baily,
Aci T. S. Silberman,
Aci John McIntosh, †
Aci W. E. Maylor.
Probable cause:
This accident is due to bad weather between the point of departure and arrival, and error on the part of the pilot in that he did not turn back when bad weather was encountered and he was not sure of his position. Pilot lacked confidence in his ability to navigate by instruments and radio beam. This did not allow him to fly at sufficient height to clear terrain along his route.
Final Report:
917.pdf148.65 KB
