Alaska Aeronautical Industries

Flight 302 departed Iliamna at 1419LT with 11 passengers and 2 crew members on board. It was cleared to Anchorage on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan via the low frequency airways--Red Airway 99 (Red 99) to the Kakon Intersection, and then Green Airway 8 (Green 8) to Anchorage. The flight was to maintain 7,000 ft. At 1425:20, the flight crew of Flight 302 established radio contact with Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center's (Anchorage Center) D2 nonradar sector controller. They reported that the flight was level at 7,000 ft and that they estimated arrival at Kakon Intersection at 1434. At 1428:35, Anchorage Center requested the flight's estimate for its arrival at Homer, Alaska. The flight crew responded that they estimated to be over Homer at 1515. The flight crew of Flight 302 did not make radio contact when they were over Kakon Intersection; however, at 1439:40 they requested of Anchorage Center, "302, we would like to file Green 8 and intercept the 192° bearing from Wildwood." Fifteen seconds later, Anchorage Center cleared the flight to proceed along the new route of flight and to remain at 7,000 ft. At 1440:50, the flight crew of Flight 302 advised, "302, we--we'll estimate Clams at 15 past the hour." Anchorage Center acknowledged the advisory. This was the last known radio transmission from Flight 302. At 1452:08, three abrupt, audible sounds were recorded on the Anchorage Center tape of incoming air-to-ground communications with Flight 302. These sounds were similar to those produced by a carrier frequency that was heard during the activation of Flight 302's radio transmitter during earlier radio communications with the Center. After several unsuccessful attempts to contact Flight 302 by several air traffic, control facilities between Iliamna and Anchorage and after the flight could not be detected on radar in the areas where radar coverage was available, Anchorage Center initiated the required actions to alert and notify appropriate authorities of a possible aircraft accident. U.S. Air Force search and rescue aircraft located the wreckage site at 1643 on September 7, 1977. The aircraft had struck a glacier face on the southwest side of Mt Iliamna at the 7,000 ft elevation. There were no survivors. Because of the rapidly changing environmental conditions on the glacier face of Mt Iliamna, recovery of bodies and wreckage was not possible.

While cruising parallel to the Seward - Anchorage highway at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the twin engine airplane collided with a Kenai Civil Air Patrol Beechcraft A-45 Mentor registered N1406Z. Engaged in a SAR mission after a Cessna 170 was missing, the Mentor was carrying two pilots. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed. All four occupants were killed.

A pilot and a technician were engaged in a post maintenance local test flight at Anchorage. While approaching Anchorage Intl Airport, the engine failed. The pilot elected to ditch the airplane in the Cook Inlet few miles offshore. While both occupants were quickly rescued, the airplane sank and was lost. The wreckage was not recovered.