On February 27, 1974, a Soviet Antonov An-24LR "Toros" (CCCP-47195) ice reconnaissance aircraft landed at

Gambell Airport Gambell Airport is a public airport located in Gambell, a city in the Nome Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by the state. Facilities Gambell Airport covers an area of which contains one asphalt and concrete paved r ...

, Alaska.CAF Digest: February 26 - March 4
Commemorative Air Force. The plane, carrying three crew members and twelve scientists, was en route to

Anadyr Anadyr may refer to: *Anadyr (town), a town and the administrative center of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Anadyr District *Anadyr Estuary *Anadyr (river), a river in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia *Anadyr Highlands *Anadyr Lowlands *Operati ...

, USSR. Due to strong winds, the pilot decided to divert to

Provideniya Provideniya ( rus, Провиде́ния, p=prəvʲɪˈdʲenʲɪjə; Chukchi: ) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Providensky District of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on Komsomolskay ...

, USSR, which was fogged in. The aircraft was low on fuel, so the crew chose to divert to Gambell, United States, located southeast of Provideniya, USSR, across the Bering Sea. The plane made a straight-in approach, and one of the engines quit shortly before landing due to

fuel starvation In an internal combustion engine, fuel starvation is the failure of the fuel system to supply sufficient fuel to allow the engine to run properly, for example due to blockage, vapor lock, contamination by water, malfunction of the fuel pump or in ...

. Word quickly spread around the community that a Soviet plane had landed, and this prompted villagers to come out to the airfield. There was a friendly meeting between Russians and locals, and souvenirs were exchanged. Some locals banded together to bring space heaters and food for the Russian visitors. The incident took place during the height of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

era. An Alaska State Trooper and members of the Alaska National Guard from Nome were dispatched to provide security for the plane. The Soviet Embassy in Washington was aware of the diversion and contacted the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense and requested fuel for the stranded plane. A U.S. Air Force C-130 plane with fuel bladders took on a load of

JP-1 Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial av ...

fuel at Anchorage and flew directly to Gambell, where it refueled the plane. The An-24 was cleared for departure and took off at 7:30 pm on the 28th. It made a pass over the airfield, dipping its wings in a gesture of thanks, and returned to Soviet airspace.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:An-24 Incident At Gambell, Alaska 1974 in Alaska 1974 in the Soviet Union Accidents and incidents involving the Antonov An-24 Aviation accidents and incidents caused by fuel exhaustion Aviation accidents and incidents in 1974 Aviation accidents and incidents in Alaska Soviet Union–United States relations