Passengers 10 Fatalities 0 Date 8 June 1983 | Crew 5 Injuries (non-fatal) 0 Number of deaths 0 Location Alaska | |
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Summary Propeller separation leading to explosive decompression, cause undetermined Similar Crossair Flight 498, TANS Perú Flight 204, Northwest Airlines Flight 85, United Express Flight 5925, Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 | ||
Reeve Aleutian Airways Flight 8 was an American domestic flight from Cold Bay, Alaska to Seattle, Washington on 8 June 1983. Shortly after taking off the Lockheed L-188 Electra of Reeve Aleutian Airways was travelling over the Pacific Ocean, when one of the propellers broke away from its engine and struck the fuselage, damaging the flight controls. The pilots were able to make a successful emergency landing at Anchorage International Airport; none of the fifteen passengers and crew on board were injured in the accident.
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Aircraft
The aircraft involved in the accident, a Lockheed L-188C Electra four-engine turboprop airliner with manufacturer's serial number 2007 and registration N1968R, had been delivered in 1959. In 1968, after service with other airlines, the aircraft was sold to Reeve Aleutian. It had flown approximately 32,995 hours in service at the time the accident happened.
Flight
Shortly after takeoff from Cold Bay Airport on the Alaska Peninsula for a flight across the northern Pacific Ocean to Seattle, Washington with ten passengers, the crew of the Electra noted an unusual vibration in the aircraft, but were unable to isolate the source. As the aircraft climbed from FL190 (approximately 19,000 feet (5,800 m)) to FL250 (approximately 25,000 feet (7,600 m)), the flight engineer left the cockpit to visually check the engines from the passenger cabin, but saw nothing amiss. The flight attendant went into the cockpit to discuss the vibration, which suddenly increased in intensity as she went back into the cabin. She looked out a window just in time to see the propeller of No. 4 engine (the outboard engine on the right wing) detach itself and fly spinning under the fuselage. The propeller tore a gash 8 feet (2.4 m) long in the aircraft's belly, causing the cabin to depressurize and jamming the flight controls and engine throttle controls. The pilots managed to gain some control of the aircraft by using the autopilot and diverted the aircraft to Anchorage. With the engine throttle controls jammed at cruise power, on approach to land the crew were able to make the aircraft descend and climb after shutting down No. 2 (the left inboard) engine in combination with lowering and raising the landing gear.
The Electra was landed at Anchorage International Airport on the second attempt. The crew had to shut down all engines once the aircraft was on the ground in order to help bring it to a stop; one tire blew out and the brakes caught fire. Nobody was hurt when the propeller hit the fuselage or during the emergency landing. The captain, 54-year-old James Gibson, with 5,700 hours' experience flying Electras, was honored for the successful landing by a meeting with President Ronald Reagan in the White House. The Airline Pilots Association also honored Captain Gibson, 39-year-old co-pilot Gary Lintner and 45-year-old flight engineer Gerald Laurin later in 1983 with its Superior Airmanship Award.
As the propeller fell into the Pacific Ocean and was never recovered for examination, the reason for its separation is unknown.
Aftermath
Following the accident, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
Dramatization
The events of Flight 8 were dramatized for the first episode of Season 12 of the documentary television series Mayday (also known as Air Crash Investigation, Air Crash Investigations, Air Emergency and Air Disasters); the episode is named "Fight for Control".