What happened
During an early morning flight from London to Prestwick, the aircraft was integrated into the arrival stack at approximately 0248 hours. The flight was positioned behind a Constellation aircraft, maintaining an altitude of 5,000 feet while the preceding plane held at 4,000 feet. The approach was intended for Runway 31, utilizing available Ground Control Approach (GCA) services.
At 0314 hours, GCA controllers assumed responsibility for the aircraft, followed by a talk-down controller at 0323 hours. The descent remained uneventful until the talk-down concluded at 0325 hours, when the aircraft was roughly 400 yards from the runway threshold. Shortly after this point, the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser impacted the ground approximately 127 feet before the threshold of Runway 31.
Following the initial impact, the aircraft traveled about 90 feet along the runway before becoming airborne again for a distance of 400 feet. The aircraft then struck the runway surface once more, causing significant damage. The vessel eventually came to a halt on the south side of the runway, roughly 550 yards from the threshold, with the passenger cabin resting in an inverted position. A rapid fire broke out, likely caused by the rupture of fuel tanks and the partial detachment of the port wing. Of those on board, there were 8 survivors (seven crew members and one passenger).
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident was driven by pilot errors regarding the approach angle and flare maneuver. Specifically, the captain initiated the final approach at an excessively steep angle and executed a late, aggressive flare. This sequence caused the aircraft to sink into the ground short of the runway. Visibility was further compromised as the aircraft passed through low cloud during the flare. Additionally, the first officer failed to activate the landing lights as instructed by the captain, which prevented the timely detection of the low cloud layer near the approach lights.