# Alaska Airlines 261 (DD-455)

> On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 flying from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, toward San Francisco and Seattle, crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, California, killing all 88 people on board. The NTSB found the horizontal stabilizer's jackscrew assembly failed because of insufficient lubrication and excessive wear. The footage, credited to planesanity, shows a reconstruction of the flight.

- Department: History (also Tech)
- First published: 2025-01-11
- Last updated: 2025-01-11
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/alaska-airlines-261/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **Jan. 31, 2000**: Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashes

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=alaska-airlines-261

## Quick facts

- **DD-455-F01**: January 31, 2000. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Date))_
- **DD-455-F02**: MD-83. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (Date))_

## Write-up

On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed off California. All 88 people on board were killed.

1. **Date**: January 31, 2000.
2. **Aircraft**: MD-83.
3. **Place**: Near Anacapa Island.
4. **Deaths**: All 88 aboard.
5. **Cause**: Jackscrew failure, per the NTSB.

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: Alaska Airlines 261: On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Crashed off California

- Duration: 17.1 s · Published: 2025-01-11
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DEsb5sTJWQ3.mp4

### Transcript

Did you know Alaska Airlines Flight 261 was a tragic aviation accident that occurred on January 31, 2000 when a McDonnell Douglas MD-83 crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island, California resulting in fatalities for all 88 passengers and crew on board. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: When?**  
A: Winter 2000. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Date) · Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines Flight 261)_

**Q: Aircraft?**  
A: McDonnell Douglas. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Aircraft) · Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines Flight 261)_

**Q: Where?**  
A: California. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Place) · Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines Flight 261)_

**Q: How many aboard?**  
A: All killed. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Deaths) · Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines Flight 261)_

**Q: Failed part?**  
A: Stabilizer. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Cause) · Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines Flight 261)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Alaska Airlines Flight 261](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Airlines_Flight_261)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Alaska Airlines 261." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-455, last updated Jan 11, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/alaska-airlines-261/