Douglas C-118A accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, June 9, 1984
On June 9, 1984 at about 1:12 am local time, a Douglas C-118A, registered N4206L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deadhorse, Alaska (Kuparak airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 1984 · about 1:12 am local time
- Place
- Deadhorse, Alaska · Kuparak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Douglas C-118A · all C-118As on the register
- Registration
- N4206L · no longer on the register · serial 43709
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT STRUCK A NON-DIRECTIONAL RADIO BEACON TOWER WHILE ON AN ILS DME RWY 05 INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE KUPARAK OIL FIELD AIRPORT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT WX ISSUED TO THE ACFT INCLUDED AN INDEFINATE 200 FT SKY OBSCURED CONDITION & VISIBILITY OF 1 1/4 MILES. BOTH THE CAPTAIN & CO-PLT STATED THAT THEY COULD SEE THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. THE DECISION HEIGHT FOR THE APPROACH IS 316 FT MSL; THE ANTENNA HEIGHT WAS 35 FT, AT THIS POINT THE ACFT SHOULD BE 250 FT ABOVE THE GROUND AND OVER THE NON-DIRECTIONAL BEACON TOWER. INVESTIGATION DID REVEAL THAT THE TOWER USED TO BE LOCATED 2800 FT OFF THE APPROACH END OF RWY 05, BUT WAS MOVED TO 1775 FT FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 05. EXISTING APPROACH PLATES DID NOT DISPLAY THE NEW LOCATION OF THE ANTENNA OR THE FACT THAT THE ANTENNA WAS ONE FT HIGHER THAN THE MAXIMUM AUTHORIZED BY THE FCC.
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; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,778 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 100,000 lb
- Seats: 96
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-2800CB16/17 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 5:20 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 6,000 ft by 130 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded at 200 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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 ANC84LA086.