Date:	Monday 22 October 1962
Time:	12:52
Type:	Douglas DC-7CF
Owner/operator:	Northwest Orient Airlines
Registration:	N285
MSN:	45204/792
Year of manufacture:	1957
Total airframe hrs:	17176 hours
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 102
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	off Biorka Island, AK -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Tacoma-McChord AFB, WA (TCM/KTCM)
Destination airport:	Anchorage-Elmendorf AFB, AK (EDF/PAED)
Investigating agency:	CAB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The DC-7C, owned by Northwest, was operating on a Military Air Transport Charter flight 293 from McChord AFB to Anchorage-Elmendorf AFB, AK.
The plane took off at 08:58. Three hours later, at FL200, a loss of power on the no. 2 engine was experienced en route, followed by an uncontrollable overspeeding of the no. 2 propeller.
A ditching seemed inevitable and a descend to 500 feet was carried out and the aircraft then ditched in Sitka Sound, AK at 12:52 at a speed of 176 km/h. The DC-7 stayed afloat for 24 minutes. All 102 persons on board were evacuated using life rafts.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "An uncontrollable overspeeding propeller due to failure in the blower section of the No.2 engine."

Ditch or crash-land?/B.W. Townshend, 1965 (50-54)
ICAO Accident Digest No.14 Volume I, Circular 71-AN/63 (67-70)

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