Douglas C54G-DC accident near Nenana, Alaska, January 17, 2007
On January 17, 2007 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Douglas C54G-DC, registered N82FA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nenana, Alaska. It was an other work-use flight under large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125). No one was hurt; 2 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 failure of an engine cylinder during cruise flight, which resulted in an in-flight fire, and subsequent emergency gear-up landing on snow-covered tundra. A factor in the accident was the failure of the fire suppression equipment to extinguish the fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2007 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Nenana, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas C54G-DC · all C54G-DCs on the register
- Registration
- N82FA · no longer on the register · serial 35906
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight crew was delivering a cargo of fuel in the four-engine airplane under Title 14, CFR Part 125, when the airplane lost power in the number 2 engine. The captain elected to shut the engine down and return to the airport. He said during the shutdown procedure, the engine caught fire, and that the fire extinguishing system was activated. The crew thought the fire was out, but it erupted again, and the captain elected to land the airplane gear-up on the snow-covered tundra. Once on the ground, the left wing was consumed by fire. An inspection by company maintenance personnel revealed that an overhauled engine cylinder had failed at its base, resulting in a fire. The airplane was not examined by the NTSB due to its remote location.
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: 2,750 hours in all; 1,550 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 796 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 653 as pilot in command; 431 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,933 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 66,670 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAFA Fairbanks AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: Nixon Fork Mine AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: -2°F (-19°C), dew point -6°F (-21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PANN, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 ANC07LA016.