No fatalities

Four-engine aircraft overrun and fire at Tempelhof Airport (56545)

Berlin-Tempelhof, GermanyLanding (descent or approach)

On November 15, 1948, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (registration 56545) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Berlin-Tempelhof, Germany during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining runway distance after landing, leading to an overrun and collision with obstacles. 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A four-engine aircraft failed to stop within the available runway distance after landing at Tempelhof Airport, resulting in an overrun, collision with obstacles, and a post-crash fire that injured all four crew members.

What happened

Following its approach and landing at Tempelhof Airport, the four-engine aircraft experienced significant difficulties in decelerating to a halt within the remaining runway distance. The aircraft was unable to stop before the end of the usable pavement, leading it to overrun the runway boundaries. During this sequence, the airframe struck obstacles on the ground. The impact and subsequent events caused the aircraft to catch fire, coming to rest in flames. The structure was destroyed by the fire. All four individuals on board sustained injuries during the incident.

Findings

The primary operational issue identified was the failure of the aircraft to stop within the available distance after touchdown. This resulted in a runway overrun that led to a collision with ground obstacles and a subsequent fire. While specific mechanical or environmental contributing factors are not detailed in the provided source, the sequence confirms that braking performance or stopping distance calculations were insufficient for the conditions present at the time of landing.

Probable cause

The aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining runway distance after landing, leading to an overrun and collision with obstacles.