Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55
A Fairchild F-27 similar to the accident aircraft | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 2, 1968 9:36 am AKST |
| Summary | Structural failure due to fatigue cracks on the wing |
| Site | |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Fairchild F-27B |
| Operator | Wien Consolidated Airlines |
| Registration | N4905 |
| Flight origin | Anchorage, Alaska |
| 1st stopover | Iliamna, Alaska |
| 2nd stopover | Big Mountain, Alaska |
| 3rd stopover | King Salmon, Alaska |
| Destination | Dillingham, Alaska |
| Occupants | 39 |
| Passengers | 36 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 39 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Wien Consolidated Airlines Flight 55 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight in Alaska that crashed into Pedro Bay on December 2, 1968, killing all 39 on board. The Fairchild F-27B aircraft was operated by Wien Consolidated Airlines and was en route to Dillingham from Anchorage, with three intermediate stops. The NTSB investigation revealed that the aircraft suffered a structural failure after encountering "severe-to-extreme" air turbulence. The accident was the second-worst accident involving a Fairchild F-27 at the time, and currently the third-worst accident involving the aircraft.