Summary Unknown Crew 6 Aircraft type Douglas DC-7C Operator Northwest Airlines Survivor 0 Location Alaska | Passengers 95 Survivors 0 Date 3 June 1963 Fatalities 101 (all) Passenger count 95 | |
Site WSW of Annette Island, Alaska Similar Northwest Airlines Flight 705, Swissair Flight 306, 1963 Camden PA‑24 cra, Trans‑Canada Air Lines Flight 831, Aero Flight 217 | ||
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 293 was an American military charter operated on 3 June 1963 by a Northwest Orient Airlines Douglas DC-7C registered N290 which crashed into the sea off the coast of Alaska with the loss of all 101 crew and passengers on board.
Contents
Accident
Flight 293 was chartered by the Military Air Transport Service of the United States Air Force to carry 95 servicemen and their families between McChord Air Force Base in Washington state to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. The DC-7 departed McChord at 07:52 Pacific Standard Time. The last radio contact was at 10:06 when the crew requested a change of flight level. When nothing more had been heard for more than an hour a search for the aircraft was begun at 11:16. It was not until 19:22 that floating debris was seen located 182.5 miles (293.7 km) WSW of Annette Island, Alaska.
Approximately 1,500 pounds of wreckage was recovered, it included life vests still encased in their plastic containers and extremely deformed seat frames. None of the bodies of the crew or passengers were ever recovered.
Investigation
With the wreckage under 8,000 feet of water the accident review board concluded "Because of lack of evidence, the Board is unable to determine the probable cause of the accident."