What happened
A Catalina flying boat was engaged in a scheduled flight path originating from Air Station Værløse, which included stops at Keflavik, Reykjavik, Mestersvig, Station North, Thule, and Sonderstrom.
On 3 May 1964, while traveling between Thule and Sonderstrom, the aircraft experienced a failure of its number one engine. Because of the reduced performance capabilities of the Catalina following the loss of an engine, the pilot initiated a precautionary descent to find a suitable landing site. Approximately 10 km southwest of Upernavik, the crew identified a patch of open water and successfully performed an emergency landing.
Following the incident, the crew was recovered by a USAF SA-16 and transported to Sonderstrom. Although the aircraft remained intact immediately after the landing, it was subsequently destroyed by ice pressure two days later, rendering the airframe a total loss.
Findings
- The primary factor leading to the emergency landing was the failure of the number one engine during the flight leg from Thule to Sonderstrom.