Mount Deception is a mountain in the Alaska Range, in

Denali National Park and Preserve Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is an American national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve ...

. Mount Deception lies east-southeast of

Denali Denali (; also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name) is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. With a topographic prominence of and a topographic isolation of , Denali is the thi ...

, overlooking

Brooks Glacier Brooks Glacier is a glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve in the U.S. state of Alaska. The glacier originates on the east face of Mount Silverthrone at Brooks Gap. The glacier moves northeast, joining Muldrow Glacier between Mount Brooks a ...

. The glacier-covered mountain was named by a U.S. Army crash investigation party on November 13, 1944, who were the first to ascend the mountain while investigating an airplane crash that happened in September 1944.

1944 plane crash

On September 18, 1944, a US Army C-47 which took off from

Elmendorf Air Force Base Elmendorf Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) facility in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally known as Elmendorf Field, it became Elmendorf Air Force Base after World War II. It is the home of the Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command (A ...

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring ...

, en route to

Ladd Army Airfield Ladd Army Airfield is the military airfield located at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was originally called Fairbanks Air Base, but was renamed Ladd Field on 1 December 1939, in honor of Major Arthur K. Ladd, a pilot in the U.S. A ...

Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...

. For reasons unknown the plane traveled off course crashing into the then unnamed peak killing all 15 passengers and 4 crew members. A 44-man rescue expedition reached the crash site in early November but a recent ten-foot snowfall exasperated efforts to find any remains. Occupants: *Crew **Roy Proebstle (pilot) **Peter Blivens (co-pilot) **Pvt. James A. George Jr. **Carl V. Harris, civilian *Navy: **Lt (JG) Athel L. Gill **S I C Bernard J. Orgeto *Army: **CWO Floyd M. Appleman **Sgt. William E. Backus **Maj. Rudolf F. Bostelman **1st Lt. Orlando J. Buck **Cpl. Charles Sykema **Pvt. Charles E. Ellis **T-5 Maurice R. Gibbs **Pvt. Anthony Kasper **PFC Alfred S. Madison **Pvt. Howard A. Pevey **PFC Clifford E. Phillips **T-4 Timothy D. Stevens **T-5 Edward S. Stoering

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deception, Mount Alaska Range Mountains of Denali Borough, Alaska Mountains of Denali National Park and Preserve Mountains of Alaska Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1944