.jpg) A Douglas C-54 similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 12, 1948 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) |
| Site | Mount Sanford, Alaska Territory |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas C-54G-1-DO |
| Operator | Northwest Airlines |
| Registration | NC95422 (formerly 45-513) |
| Flight origin | Lunghwa Airport, Shanghai, China |
| Stopover | Anchorage, Alaska |
| Destination | LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York |
| Occupants | 30 |
| Passengers | 24 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 30 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On March 12, 1948, Northwest Airlines Flight 4422 (NC95422) crashed into Mount Sanford, Alaska, with a crew of six and 24 passengers.[1] The flight was a C-54 charter flying back to the United States from Shanghai. The aircraft refueled at Anchorage (Merrill Field) and took off at 8:12 P.M. to continue on to its destination, New York City (LaGuardia Airport). Instead of following the published airway, which detoured around Mount Sanford, the aircraft flew a direct line, crashing into the mountain.[2] After the initial impact the wreckage slid down for about 3000 feet before coming to rest.[1] There were no survivors. The passengers were American merchant mariners, crew members of the tanker SS Sunset, being ferried back home.[3]
- ^ a b Accident description at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ "CAB report for March 12, 1948 accident involving NC95422, Docket No. SA-168, File No. 1-0025". Civil Aeronautics Board. July 23, 1948. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Felknor, Bruce (June 21, 2000). "Tragic Voyage of the SS Sunset Crew". USMM.org. Retrieved November 5, 2009.