Big Creek – King Salmon

On July 6, 1979 at 12:00 AM, Big Creek – King Salmon experienced a crash involving Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, operated by Gifford Aviation, with the event recorded near Big Creek Alaska.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 5 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is human factor. Crashed into the Bering Sea shortly after takeoff from a sand beach at Big Creek. The aircraft was destroyed and all five occupants were injured. Here is the testimony from Jim Larison who was on board to make a documentary for PBS at the time of the accident: The C-119 aircraft was attempting to take off, but the aircraft could not make lift off speed in time to avoid having to turn right along the beach. As the pilot attempted to turn right we began sliding sideways. The farther right we turned the more the wind became a factor. The aircraft could not gain sufficient airspeed but the speed was great enough that we were light on our wheels so could not make the turn either. Centrifugal force drove us sideways toward the sea. The pilots straightened it up and tried to lift off but we did not have sufficient airspeed to make it into the air. We went out into the Bering Sea perhaps a quarter mile before stalling. The aircraft crashed into the sea and was torn to pieces. The cockpit ended up underneath the fuselage under about 10 feet of water. I was trapped in the wreckage under the fuselage. The pilot came back into the aircraft and freed me from the wreckage. There was no fire. There were five people on board. Luckily no fatalities but survivors were airlifted to Anchorage for medical care. Aircraft was eventually pulled out of the sea and now rests at the mouth of Big Creek in a sand dune. Photos James 'Jim' Larson.

Aircraft reference details include registration N90269, MSN 230, year of manufacture 1952.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 56.1191°, -133.1355°.