What happened
On a cargo mission traveling from Luxembourg toward New York via Reykjavik, a four-engine aircraft struck the northwest slope of the Vatnajökull glacier located in southeast Iceland. The accident occurred while the plane was maintaining an altitude of 6,000 feet. Following the disappearance of the flight, search and rescue teams initiated operations; however, severe weather prevented the immediate location of the wreckage. The debris field was not identified until four days after the initial incident.
Due to the extreme difficulty of accessing the crash site, the first rescue teams were unable to reach the location until September 20. Despite the destruction of the four-engine aircraft, there were no fatalities among the six crew members on board. The survival of the entire crew was attributed to the nature of the cargo being transported, which included Swiss chocolate and high-value furs.
Findings
- Adverse weather conditions significantly delayed the discovery of the wreckage and the arrival of ground rescuers.