Narrative:The DC-4, operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, sustained severe structural damage in a landing accident at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport (AMS), the Netherlands. The 20 passengers and seven crew members were not injured.
The DC-4, named "Friesland", was approaching Schiphol Airport runway 23 following a regular passenger flight from Geneva, Switzerland. At 500 m short of the runway the airspeed was 160 km/h. The undercarriage was down and flaps were selected at 3/4. The flight engineer told the captain that the speed was a bit low. The captain decided not to change the power setting and continued the approach. Overflying the perimeter road, the captain ordered full flaps and to close the throttles. The flight engineer assumed that they would undershoot the runway. He retarded the throttles slowly and selected full flaps. The airplane then contacted trees and touched down on the edge of a ditch, 175 metres short of the runway. The DC-4 bounced and came down on the runway.
The aircraft sustained severe structural damage and was considered damaged beyond repair.
Probable Cause:
CONCLUSION: "The accident was caused by a piloting fault of the captain, who came in unnecessary low and too slow."
Classification:
Undershoot/overshoot
Sources:
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Opsomming van de bekende ongevallen en incidenten in 1948 / H.Dekker
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Genève-Cointrin Airport to Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport as the crow flies is 677 km (423 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.