What happened
During an approach to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport under conditions of dense fog, the flight crew established a plan to divert to Brussels if the runway environment was not visible at an altitude of 50 meters. While performing the final approach to runway 23, the four-engine aircraft struck the terrain approximately 400 meters before reaching the runway threshold.
The impact occurred while the plane was in a flat attitude, causing the landing gear to be sheared from the airframe. The aircraft subsequently crashed and caught fire roughly 300 meters short of the threshold. While all 20 people on board were evacuated, one stewardess sustained serious injuries due to the resulting flames.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the crew proceeded with an ILS approach despite the low visibility. The aircraft descended below the minimum descent altitude without the crew establishing visual contact with the ground. It was determined that the crew failed to execute a go-around maneuver once the required visibility was lost.