Incident Description
During a VFR landing approach to a remote mining airstrip, the captain of a modified Douglas DC-4 airplane was concluding a cross-country nonscheduled cargo flight. The airplane undershot the runway threshold during the landing flare and touchdown. The right main landing gear struck the lip of the runway and was torn off, causing the nose and right wing to collide with the runway surface. The right wing separated from the fuselage and caught fire. The fuselage, which contained cargo fuel bladders, slid to a stop and rolled approximately 90 degrees to the left.
Aircraft Information
The airplane involved was a modified Douglas DC-4. The modification included a raised cockpit positioned above the fuselage to accommodate an upward swinging nose door. According to the pilot, the additional cockpit height, compared to a standard DC-4, made the airplane appear lower than he perceived during the approach.
Probable Cause
An undershoot and collision with the runway when the pilot misjudged the distance/altitude during the landing flare/touchdown.