Background
A Catalina flying boat was operating on a round trip from Air Station Værløse, Denmark, via Keflavik, Reykjavik, Mestersvig, Station North, Thule, Sonderstrom, and back to Værløse. The aircraft departed Værløse on 20 April 1964.
Incident
On 3 May 1964, while en route from Thule to Sonderstrom, the Catalina suffered a failure of its No. 1 engine. Due to the aircraft's single-engine performance limitations, the captain decided to make a precautionary landing upon discovering open water approximately 10 kilometers southwest of Upernavik.
Rescue
The crew was later rescued by a United States Air Force SA-16 aircraft and transported to Sonderstrom.
Damage
Two days after the landing, the Catalina was damaged beyond repair when ice crushed the aircraft.