Anchorage – Seward

On April 9, 1956 at 10:00 AM, Anchorage – Seward experienced a crash involving Rockwell Aero Commander 520, operated by Cordova Airlines, with the event recorded near Skilak Lake Alaska.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

6 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Anchorage international Airport at 0905LT (scheduled time of departure 0845), destination Seward. The flight plan filed with the company by Pilot John Arthur Waide contained the following: Anchorage to Seward VFR via Skilak Lake, airspeed 145 knots, estimated time en route 45 minutes. All fuel tanks were full and the fuel on board was sufficient for six hours. The estimated time for arrival at Seward was 0950. Witnesses saw the airplane flying southeast toward Seward, heard it circle Upper Russian Lake and saw it pass them again flying west-northwest at 0951. At 1255 Flight 6 was still unreported and search and rescue procedures were initiated. On April 10, 1956, at approximately 1400, the wreckage was reported on the south slope of an unnamed mountain east of Skilak Lake at an elevation of approximately 3,000 feet MSL, near latitude 60 degree 24 'N, longitude 150 degree 03'W. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants have been killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration N5386N, MSN 520-7, year of manufacture 1952.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 60.4287°, -150.3747°.