Investigation Summary
The flight was a military transport mission carrying 13 passengers and 7 crew members bound for London. Shortly after departing Munich-Riem Airport, the aircraft experienced a significant loss of power in one of its engines. Due to heavy fog and the loss of performance, the pilots were unable to maintain altitude while flying over the city center. The aircraft descended until it struck the 318-foot-tall steeple of St. Paul's Church near the Theresienwiese. The impact sheared off a wing tip, causing the aircraft to roll and crash into a busy intersection where it struck a tram and ignited a massive fire. The disaster remains one of the deadliest aviation accidents in Munich's history and directly influenced the decision to relocate the city's airport.
Final Conclusions
The investigation determined that the engine failure was caused by fuel starvation. Investigators found water in the fuel tank booster pump. Because water is denser than fuel, it settled at the bottom of the tank and entered the pump inlets. In the freezing temperatures, the water froze, blocking the inlets and preventing fuel from reaching the engine. This led to a total power loss and the subsequent crash.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Fuel Tank Booster Pump
The component where water accumulated and froze, blocking the flow of fuel to the engine.
Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB16 engines
The specific radial engine variant powering the C-131D (CV-340), one of which failed due to fuel starvation.
Interesting Facts
- 01All 20 people on board the aircraft (7 crew and 13 passengers) were killed.
- 0232 people on the ground, many of whom were on a Munich streetcar, were killed.
- 03Approximately 20 people on the ground sustained injuries during the accident.
- 04The aircraft struck the steeple of St. Paul's Church before the final impact.
- 05The crash occurred just one day after the 1960 New York mid-air collision.
- 06The accident site was approximately 10 kilometers west of Munich-Riem Airport.
- 07The aircraft was Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 212, manufactured in 1955.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Airport Relocation
The crash, combined with a previous accident in 1958, led city and state officials to abandon expansion plans for Munich-Riem and instead build a new airport (Munich Airport) outside the city limits.
Fire Service Modernization
Munich Fire & Rescue Services ordered new TLF 16 powder trucks to improve their ability to fight aviation-related fires.