N967JW
Flight / Schedule
N967JW
Aircraft
Cessna 402Registration
N967JW
MSN
402-0067
Year of Manufacture
1967
Operator
Wilbur's Flight OperationsDate
April 1, 1987 at 09:30 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Crash Location
Anchorage-Merrill Field Alaska
Region
North America • United States of America
Crash Cause
Technical failure
Narrative Report
On April 1, 1987 at 09:30 PM, N967JW experienced a crash involving Cessna 402, operated by Wilbur's Flight Operations, with the event recorded near Anchorage-Merrill Field Alaska.
The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.
2 people were known to be on board, 2 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: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is technical failure. The aircraft was on the last leg of a scheduled commuter flight, when it crashed in a heavily wooded area while making a VFR approach to Merrill Field, Anchorage, AK. The captain and his sole passenger were killed in the crash when the airplane struck the ground upside-down in a near vertical attitude. The airplane's copilot, who had deplaned minutes before the accident flight, said he did not see the captain use the aircraft's auxiliary fuel tanks at any time during that evening's earlier flights. The airplane's main fuel tanks hold 100 gallons of useable fuel; it is estimated that the airplane would have consumed slightly more than 100 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident. Ample fuel remained in the auxiliary tanks, but an engine restart cannot be readily accomplished if the auxiliary tanks are not selected prior to the engine's quitting. Both occupants were killed.
Aircraft reference details include registration N967JW, MSN 402-0067, year of manufacture 1967.
Fatalities
Total
2
Crew
1
Passengers
1
Other
0
Crash Summary
The aircraft was on the last leg of a scheduled commuter flight, when it crashed in a heavily wooded area while making a VFR approach to Merrill Field, Anchorage, AK. The captain and his sole passenger were killed in the crash when the airplane struck the ground upside-down in a near vertical attitude. The airplane's copilot, who had deplaned minutes before the accident flight, said he did not see the captain use the aircraft's auxiliary fuel tanks at any time during that evening's earlier flights. The airplane's main fuel tanks hold 100 gallons of useable fuel; it is estimated that the airplane would have consumed slightly more than 100 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident. Ample fuel remained in the auxiliary tanks, but an engine restart cannot be readily accomplished if the auxiliary tanks are not selected prior to the engine's quitting. Both occupants were killed.
Cause: Technical failure
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
1
Passengers On Board
1
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 2
Operational Details
Operator
Wilbur's Flight OperationsFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Region / Country
North America • United States of America
