A Northwest Airlines Douglas DC-4, NC-95422, Flight 4422, a non-scheduled charter flight en route from Lunghwa Airport, Shanghai, China, to La Guardia Field, New York, crashed on the west slope of Mt. Sanford, Alaska, at an altitude of 11,000 feet at approximately 214l, March 12, 1948. The 24 passengers and 6 crew members were fatally injured, and the aircraft was demolished by impact and fire. Approximately 42 miles, 61 degrees, from the Gulkana radio range station is Mt. Sanford, the elevation of which is 16,208 feet.

In order to provide a safe lateral distance from Mt. Sanford for aircraft flying the route, the airway from Gulkana east is deflected to the north, its course being 23 degrees. Fifteen minutes after the flight was observed flying easterly from Gulkana a fire was observed on the western slope of Mt. Sanford. Except for a repeat transmission of the flight's Gulkana position report, overheard by Northway Radio 124 miles northeast of Gulkana and approximately one minute before the fire was observed on Mt. Sanford, no communication was received from the flight after 2103.