San Salvador

Following an uneventful flight, the crew started the descent to Cockburn Town Airport, San Salvador Island. After touchdown on runway 28, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and plunged into the sea. All 23 occupants were evacuated and the copilot was seriously injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after takeoff from Cockburn Town Airfield (San Salvador Island), the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot and a passenger were killed while four other occupants were seriously injured. The airplane was enroute to Stella Maris, Long Island, Bahamas.

The crew was performing a special flight from Patrick AFB (Cocoa Beach, Florida) to San Salvador Airport in Cockburn Town, Bahamas, carrying supplies and various goods to the locals following the devastation of the hurricane 'Betsy'. The aircraft was preceded by a first C-124 registered 51-0110 which landed safely on runway 28. Its captain contacted the second C-124's crew and advised them to land on runway 10 according to the wind component. During the last segment, after passing over the runway 10 threshold at low height, the captain heard a noise coming from the right main gear and thought he had made a hard landing. He elected to make a normal hard landing recovery when control was lost. The airplane deviated from the centerline to the right and came to rest in flames, broken in two. A crew member was killed while 12 others were evacuated. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire. It is understood that a strong cross wind was blowing at the time of the accident.