Date & Time:
Sep 18, 1946 at 0242 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-4
Operator:
Registration:
OO-CBG
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Brussels – Shannon – Gander – New York
MSN:
42986
YOM:
1946
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
37
Pax fatalities:
21
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
27
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Shannon, the crew started the descent to Gander Airport by night and in poor weather conditions. Most probably in a way to establish a visual contact with the ground, the captain reduced his altitude and passed below the minimum safe altitude when the aircraft hit trees and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located 35 km from the airport. A crew member and 16 passengers were rescued while 27 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot continued the approach at an insufficient altitude and thus failed to follow the published approach procedures.
