Northern Air Cargo, LLC (NAC) is an American cargo airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. NAC operates a small fleet of Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-800 freighter aircraft within the state of Alaska as well as widebody Boeing 767-300 freighter services throughout the Caribbean and South America. Other services include aircraft maintenance services through its subsidiary, Northern Air Maintenance Services, on demand charters and consolidation of cargo. With a main base at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, NAC also operates out of a hub at Miami International Airport. NAC is a division of Saltchuk which is the corporate parent of a number of transportation and distribution companies including Aloha Air Cargo, a cargo airline based in Hawaii.

Northern Air Cargo
IATA ICAO Call sign
NC NAC YUKON
Founded1956
AOC #NACA002A[1]
HubsAnchorage
Secondary hubsMiami
Fleet size8
Destinations22 + charter
Parent companyNorthern Aviation Services, Saltchuk Resources, Inc.
HeadquartersAnchorage, Alaska, United States
Key peopleBetsy Seaton, CEO & President
Websitenac.aero

History

edit
 
NAC operated one of only two Douglas DC-6s that had been converted to swing-tail configuration

Northern Air Cargo, LLC was established in 1956 as a charter freight service by Robert "Bobby" Sholton and Maurice Carlson.[2]

In 2019, NAC retired its last Boeing 737-200 freighter aircraft with the replacements being later model and improved Boeing 737-300s and 400s.[3]

Destinations

edit

As of February 2022, Northern Air Cargo, LLC operates scheduled freight services to the following Alaskan domestic destinations:.[4][5] The company also offers charter services.

Northern Air Cargo, LLC also operates in the following Caribbean and South American destinations:[6]

Fleet

edit
 
Northern Air Cargo Boeing 737 landing at Anchorage Airport

Northern Air Cargo LLC's fleet as of July 2020:

Northern Air Cargo Fleet
Aircraft Total Orders Notes
Boeing 737-300 2 [7]
Boeing 737-400 3 [8]
Boeing 737-800(SF) 1 [9]
Boeing 767-300ER/BCF 3 [10]
Boeing 767-300ER/BDSF 4 [11]

Previously operated

edit

Northern Air Cargo has previously operated the following aircraft:[2][12]

 
A Fairchild C-82A "Packet" of NAC, April 1985
Northern Air Cargo Retired Fleet
Aircraft Total Notes
ATR 42-300 1
Boeing 727-100C 1
Boeing 727-100F 3
Boeing 737-200 3 Retired in February 2019
Douglas DC-6 13 Two crashed (N867TA) and (N313RS)
Fairchild C-82 2

Service

edit

Northern Air Cargo, LLC (NAC) currently is contracted to handle passenger services for the following:

  • Scheduled Flights[13]
    • General Air Cargo Service
    • Priority Air Cargo Service
    • Express Air Cargo Service:
    • NACPAC
    • Dangerous Goods:[14]
  • Charters[15]
    • Charter Services

Accidents and incidents

edit
 
The NAC DC-6 that crashed on 20 July 1996, April 1985
 
The NAC DC-6 that crashed on 25 September 2001, June 1989
  • On July 20, 1996, Northern Air Cargo Flight 33, a Douglas DC-6 (registration N313RS) was flying from (Emmonak to Aniak) when it crashed during an attempted an emergency landing at Russian Mission after the #3 engine catching fire. When the aircraft turned towards its final approach, its right wing was seen folded up. The plane rolled to the right, pitched nose down, and flew into the ground. All 4 on board were killed, including a jump seat passenger, who was a bush pilot employed by Grant Aviation. The cause of the crash was determined to be the fatigue on the engine and improper procedures (failure to feather #3 Prop) during an emergency by the pilots on board.[16]
  • On September 25, 2001, the left wing broke off of a Northern Air Cargo Douglas DC-6BF, registration N867TA, while landing on Alpine Airstrip, AK, on a cargo flight from Deadhorse Airport. The aircraft subsequently veered off the left side of the runway and was destroyed in a post-crash fire. All 3 crewmembers on board survived. The aircraft was written off.[17]
  • On February 14, 2002, Northern Air Cargo Flight 20, a Boeing 727 (registration N190AJ), struck its right wingtip while landing on runway 8 (today's runway 9) at Ralph Wien Memorial Airport in Kotzebue, Alaska following a visual approach. None of the four occupants were injured and the crew was unaware of the wingtip strike until the flight engineer noticed the damage while conducting his preflight inspection prior to departure. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.[18]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View". av-info.faa.gov. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
  2. ^ a b "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-10. p. 57.
  3. ^ "Corporate History | NAC". www.nac.aero. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  4. ^ Flight International, 5–11 April 2005
  5. ^ "Routes and Locations | NAC". www.nac.aero. Retrieved 2017-07-22.
  6. ^ "Strat Air | Teamwork that delivers". www.stratair.net. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  7. ^ N362NC, N360WA
  8. ^ N401YK, N403YK, N405YK
  9. ^ "US's Northern Air Cargo adds first B737-800 freighter". Ch-Aviation. 26 August 2022.
  10. ^ "US's Saltchuk Aviation orders four more B767-300(ERBCF)s". Ch-Aviation. 24 July 2022.
  11. ^ N351CM, N379CX, N321CM
  12. ^ Flight International, 3–9 October 2006
  13. ^ "Scheduled | NAC". www.nac.aero. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  14. ^ "Dangerous Goods | NAC". www.nac.aero. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  15. ^ "Charters | NAC". www.nac.aero. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  16. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-6A N313RS Russian Mission, AK (RSH)".
  17. ^ "ASN aircraft accident Douglas DC-6BF N867TA Deadhorse-Alpine Airstrip, AK (DQH)". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  18. ^ "ASN aircraft accident Boeing 727-46F N190AJ Kotzebue Airport, AK (OTZ)". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
edit