Sitka – Juneau

On September 1, 1954 at 06:15 PM, Sitka – Juneau experienced a crash involving Grumman G-21A Goose, operated by United States Fish %26 Wildlife Service, with the event recorded near King Salmon Bay (Admiralty Island) Alaska.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 5 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 83.3%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 5, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.

After taking part to a fish regulation conference in Sitka, all passengers were returning to Juneau when they decided to perform a low pass over the King Salmon Bay (east part of the Admiralty Island) to make a stream survey of the salmon run conditions. At a height of 100 feet, while making a turn to the left, the aircraft hit the ground. The left wing and the left engine were sheared off and the seaplane crashed into the King Salmon Bay. Debris were scattered for more than 200 yards over the creek. A passenger who was seriously wounded was able to reach the shore and was spotted by a bush pilot about 24 hours later and transferred to a hospital in Juneau. As soon as the mishap was known to the USFWS, they sent their vessel christened 'Grizzly Bear' and three planes but reached the crash site on the morning of September 3 only. On site, they noted that all five other occupants have been killed in the crash and that the airplane was totally destroyed. Crew: Robert Meeks, pilot. † Passengers: George B. Kelez, † Richard Schuman, † Larry Kelleon, † Pattie David Bidwell, † Gomer Hilsinger.

Aircraft reference details include registration N742, MSN B022, year of manufacture 1943.