Investigation Summary
The flight was a scheduled passenger service from London to Amsterdam. Upon arrival at Schiphol, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog. After circling the airport three times and failing two landing attempts, the pilot likely spotted the runway lights while not properly aligned with the runway. In an effort to correct the alignment, the pilot initiated a steep left-hand turn at a low airspeed. Witnesses in the control tower reported that the engines appeared to stall when the aircraft was approximately 300 feet (91m) above the ground. Although the crew managed to restart the engines, the aircraft was at an insufficient altitude to recover. The C-47 struck the ground in a 65-degree nose-down pitch and a 45-degree left bank. The impact triggered a fire that lasted seven minutes, destroying the airframe. Rescuers arrived on the scene quickly but were unable to approach the wreckage to assist survivors due to the extreme intensity of the flames. At the time, this was the deadliest aviation accident in Dutch history.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the primary cause was a loss of control resulting from an asymmetrical stall during a low-speed, steep turn. The captain was found to be insufficiently familiar with the specific flight characteristics of the DC-3 in such maneuvers and lacked the necessary proficiency for landing in the prevailing weather conditions. A KLM official later confirmed that the approach speed was too slow, leading to the stall.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Engines
The aircraft was powered by two R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines. Tower witnesses reported these engines 'stalled' (a colloquial term for a power interruption or flameout) during the final turn. While the crew successfully performed a restart just before impact, the loss of thrust at a critical moment exacerbated the loss of control.
DC-3 Aerodynamics
Flight testing of the DC-3/C-47 type revealed a vulnerability to asymmetrical aerodynamic stalls when performing steep turns at low airspeeds. This aerodynamic stall—where the wing loses lift—is distinct from the engine power loss reported by witnesses, though both contributed to the crash sequence.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a converted military C-47 Skytrain manufactured in 1944.
- 02The accident occurred exactly eight days after another KLM DC-3 (PH-TBO) crashed on the same route in the opposite direction.
- 03The victims included the prominent Dutch novelist Herman de Man.
- 04The captain was a British citizen with 17 years of flying experience.
- 05The aircraft struck the ground with a 65-degree pitch and 45-degree left bank attitude.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Pilot Proficiency and Type Familiarization
Following the investigation, emphasis was placed on ensuring pilots were sufficiently familiar with the DC-3's specific handling characteristics during low-speed maneuvers and asymmetrical stall risks, as well as maintaining higher proficiency standards for low-visibility approaches.