Date & Time:
May 22, 1962 at 1140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
Operator:
Registration:
131390
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
4310
YOM:
1954
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
22
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
26
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Frankfurt-Main on a special flight, carrying a crew of four, 22 passengers and thousands of confidential documents of the US Army. While cruising at an altitude of 18,000 feet, the crew contacted ATC twice, declared an emergency and elected to divert to Munich-Riem Airport. Shortly later, the aircraft exploded and crashed in a field located in Markt Schwaben, 17 km south of Munich Airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 26 occupants were killed. Debris and documents were scattered on an area over 65 km2.
Probable cause:
It is believed the airplane suffered a major structural failure in flight, maybe due to fatigue cracks that were not detected during the last maintenance check. The assumption that a fire erupted in the cargo compartment was not ruled out.
