World Airways Flight 802

World Airways Flight 802
	A World Airways DC-8 sister ship of the accident aircraft
Accident
Date	8 September 1973
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain due to Pilot error
Site	King Cove, Alaska ; 55.1893°N 162.2645°W
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Douglas DC-8-63CF
Operator	World Airways
Registration	N802WA
Flight origin	Travis AFB, California
1st stopover	Cold Bay Airport, Alaska
Last stopover	Yokota AFB, Japan
Destination	Clark AFB, Philippines
Occupants	6
Passengers	3
Crew	3
Fatalities	6
Survivors	0

On September 8, 1973, a Douglas DC-8 operated by World Airways as World Airways Flight 802 crashed on high ground while on approach to Cold Bay Airport, Alaska, killing all six people on board.[1]

The official accident investigation concluded that the probable cause was the captain's non-adherence to published instrument approach procedures for the destination airport.

History of the flight

Flight 802 was a contract cargo flight for the US Military Airlift Command from Travis AFB, California, to Clark AFB, Philippines; Cold Bay was the first planned stopover. The flight crew consisted of three members, while on board were also three non-revenue passengers, including two company employees.

The aircraft operating flight 802 was a four-engine Douglas DC-8-63CF jetliner, registration N802WA,[2] which had entered service two years earlier, in 1971. Maintenance records for the aircraft did not highlight any significant problem.[3]

Final descent and crash

After an uneventful flight from Travis, the aircraft descended in cloud towards Cold Bay Airport, straying significantly off-course and into an area of poor radio navigation reception, until at 05:42 AKDT it struck Mount Dutton at an altitude of 3,500 ft (1,100 m).[3]

gollark: "The chance less than 50%? Guess that means it can never happen!"

gollark: It's a joke.

gollark: Oh, yes, people are TERRIBLE at uncertainty.

gollark: In true anarchocapitalism, children would be auctioned to the highest bidder at birth, who obviously is the most suitable person to raise them.

gollark: Humans also have bizarre social status things going on.

References

"Crashed jet found; crew dead". Chicago Tribune. September 10, 1973. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
"FAA Registry (N802WA)". Federal Aviation Administration.
Aircraft Accident Report, World Airways, Inc., DC-8-63F, N802WA, King Cove, Alaska, September 8, 1973 (PDF) (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. May 8, 1974. NTSB-AAR-74-6. Retrieved 11 November 2016.

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[1] "Crashed jet found; crew dead". Chicago Tribune. September 10, 1973. Retrieved 11 November 2016.

[2] "FAA Registry (N802WA)". Federal Aviation Administration.

[NTSB_report-3] Aircraft Accident Report, World Airways, Inc., DC-8-63F, N802WA, King Cove, Alaska, September 8, 1973 (PDF) (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. May 8, 1974. NTSB-AAR-74-6. Retrieved 11 November 2016.