No fatalities

Belly landing of four-engine aircraft in Sierra Nevada (56521)

Jérez del Marquesado, SpainFlight

On March 8, 1960, a Douglas DC-4 (registration 56521) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Jérez del Marquesado, Spain in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The cause of the emergency belly landing is currently unknown. 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 four-engine aircraft sustained heavy damage after performing a belly landing in a rocky region of Andalusia, though all passengers and crew were rescued.

What happened

An incident involving a four-engine aircraft occurred in the Sierra Nevada mountains, situated approximately 12 km from Jérez del Marquesado in the Andalusia region. During the flight, the aircraft was forced to perform a belly landing within a rocky area of the terrain.

Despite the severity of the impact and the damage sustained by the airframe, there were no casualties reported. All 24 occupants on board were successfully rescued from the site. The aircraft, identified as 'Ciudad de Madrid', was declared a total loss due to being damaged beyond repair.

Findings

The specific reasons for the emergency landing remain undetermined at this time.

Probable cause

The cause of the emergency belly landing is currently unknown.