Douglas DC-6B accident near Crooked Creek, Alaska, January 31, 2001
On January 31, 2001 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Douglas DC-6B, registered N4390F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crooked Creek, Alaska (Donlin Creek Airstrip airport). It was flown under large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's misjudged flare while landing. Factors associated with the accident were flat light conditions, snow-covered terrain, and an uphill runway grade.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2001 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Crooked Creek, Alaska · Donlin Creek Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-6B · all DC-6Bs on the register
- Registration
- N4390F · no longer on the register · serial 44898
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated airline transport captain related that the purpose of the flight was to deliver about 4,800 gallons of fuel oil to the remote mining site. He said that the 5,400 feet long by 100 feet wide airstrip was situated within hilly, snow-covered terrain. He added that the airstrip has a 7 percent uphill grade. Flat light conditions existed at the airstrip, and light snow showers were present, with visibility reported at 2 miles. The captain stated that during final approach, as the airplane passed over the airstrip threshold, flat light conditions made it very difficult to discern where the airstrip surface was. He said that the initial touch down was "firm", but was thought to be within acceptable tolerances. Just after touchdown, the left wing broke free from the airplane at the wing to fuselage attach point. The airplane veered to the left, and off the left side of the runway. The captain said that the airplane's computed landing weight was 92,260 pounds.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,500 hours in all; 8,100 in this make and model; 263 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 29,000 as pilot in command; 1,900 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 31, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight Engineer
- Certificate: commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 37,052.7 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 24, 2001; 33.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 103,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R2800-CB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Everts Air Fuel, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Crooked Creek AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11, 5,400 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC01LA034.