Investigation Summary
Shortly after departing Cold Bay, the crew felt an unusual vibration that they were unable to isolate. As the aircraft climbed from FL190 toward its assigned altitude of FL250, the vibration suddenly increased in intensity. While the flight engineer and a flight attendant were attempting to visually inspect the engines, the number four propeller separated from its shaft. The spinning propeller sliced into the fuselage floor, severing or jamming the steel cables for the elevators, ailerons, and rudder, as well as the throttle linkages for all four engines. The resulting hole caused an immediate explosive decompression. Captain James Gibson discovered that while the manual control column was 'solid as a concrete block,' the autopilot servos were still capable of moving the control surfaces to a limited degree. Because the throttles were jammed at cruise power, the crew could not slow down for landing using conventional means. They developed a method of controlling their descent by extending the landing gear to increase drag and shutting down the number two engine to reduce thrust. On final approach to Anchorage, the crew had to shut down the remaining engines to stop the aircraft, which eventually veered into a ditch off the runway. The propeller was never recovered from the ocean floor, leaving the exact mechanism of the separation undetermined.
Final Conclusions
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was unable to determine the definitive cause of the propeller separation because the component fell into the Pacific Ocean and was not recovered. The investigation focused on the integrity of the propeller nut and shaft, but without physical evidence, the failure remains officially unexplained. The crew was highly commended for their airmanship, with Captain Gibson receiving a personal commendation from President Ronald Reagan.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
The Impossible Landing of Reeve Aleutian Flight 8 | Mayday: Air Disaster — A look at how the crew of Flight 8 managed to land a Lockheed Electra after a propeller separation jammed nearly all flight controls and throttles.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Hours on type (Electra) stated as 5,700; total career experience over 25 years.
Systems & Failure Modes
Autopilot
The autopilot servos were connected to the control surfaces in a manner that bypassed the jammed sections of the primary manual control cables, allowing the pilots to steer the aircraft.
Propeller Assembly
The outboard right-hand (No. 4) propeller assembly separated entirely from the engine reduction gear house for unknown reasons.
Flight Control Cables
Steel cables running beneath the cabin floor were severed or pinched when the propeller struck the fuselage, resulting in a total loss of manual elevator and aileron authority.
Interesting Facts
- 01The propeller tore a gash approximately 8 feet long in the aircraft's belly.
- 02The aircraft involved, N1968R, had 32,994 flight hours at the time of the accident.
- 03The crew used the autopilot to fly the plane because the manual control cables were physically jammed by the damaged fuselage.
- 04The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service, eventually becoming a firefighting air tanker in Canada.
- 05The propeller was never recovered from the Pacific Ocean.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Crew Commendation
The flight crew received the Superior Airmanship Award from the Air Line Pilots Association for their successful recovery of the aircraft.