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Aircraft damage following glacier landing strike (50778)

Shackleton Glacier, AntarcticaLanding (descent or approach)

On January 11, 1965, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration 50778) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Shackleton Glacier, Antarctica during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck a sastrugi during its landing on a glacier, leading to the separation of the left engine and propeller. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A ski-equipped aircraft sustained significant damage after striking terrain during a landing on a glacier.

What happened

During an operation involving a landing on a glacier, a ski-equipped aircraft encountered a sastrugi feature on the surface. The impact with this uneven terrain caused immediate structural failure to the propulsion system. Specifically, the propeller attached to the left engine was torn away from the unit, and the force of the collision resulted in the entire left engine being sheared from the airframe.

Findings

  • The incident occurred during the landing phase on a glacier.
  • The primary cause of the damage was the impact with a sastrugi.
  • There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported among the six crew members on board.
  • While the crew remained unharmed, the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss, as it was determined to be beyond repair.

Probable cause

The aircraft struck a sastrugi during its landing on a glacier, leading to the separation of the left engine and propeller.

Related events

Same operator

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