What happened
On 18 February 1966, a cargo flight departed from Brussels at 00:10 GMT, destined for Milan-Malpensa, Italy. The mission involved the transport of 214 calves. During the flight, the aircraft was cleared by Milan ACC to proceed directly to the Malpensa radio beacon with a clearance limit of 6,000 feet.
At approximately 01:53, the aircraft was positioned over the Malpensa NDB at 6,000 feet and received instructions for a standard ILS approach to runway 35R. At this time, meteorological reports indicated extremely low visibility, with runway visibility recorded at only 250 meters due to fog. The flight crew followed the approach procedure, reporting altitudes of 4,000 feet and 2,000 feet at the outer marker. Following instructions from Malpensa APP, the pilot was cleared to land and told to report when the runway was in sight.
Radar controllers confirmed the aircraft was over the approach end of the runway at 02:02:50, which marked the final communication with air traffic services. While performing the night-time final approach in heavy fog, the aircraft crossed the runway threshold approximately 8 degrees to the right of the centerline. The aircraft traveled alongside the runway for roughly 2,400 meters before striking a group of trees. The impact occurred about 3,000 meters from the runway threshold and 435 meters from the centerline. A post-impact fire broke out due to fuel spillage. There were no survivors among the occupants, and the entire cargo was lost.
Findings
Investigations into the accident determined that the crew failed to adhere to the established company minimums for flight operations. Furthermore, the decision to perform a missed approach procedure was made too late to prevent the collision.