Grangeville – Moose Creek

On August 4, 1959 at 12:00 AM, Grangeville – Moose Creek experienced a crash involving Ford 5, operated by Johnson Flying Service, with the event recorded near Moose Creek Idaho.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 80.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 3, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is other causes. The Tri-Motor took off from the Grangeville to deliver goods to the backcountry airstrip at Moose Creek on the Nezperce National Forest and to drop two smokejumpers on a fire burning on Pettibone Ridge. Aboard the aircraft were a forest supervisor, a smokejumper foreman and two smokejumpers. When landing at Moose Creek to drop off the supplies before dropping the jumpers, the aircraft crashed into the trees at the end of the dirt runway and burst into flames.

Aircraft reference details include registration N8419, MSN 5-AT-058, year of manufacture 29.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 46.1391°, -114.9142°.