Accident Details
During a landing on a drifting ice floe in the central Arctic Basin, the ski of the right main landing gear of an aircraft struck an ice hummock. The impact caused the ski to break, and the nose of the aircraft made contact with the ice. The fuselage subsequently broke into three sections when the aircraft fell back onto the ice surface.
Occupants and Evacuation
The aircraft was carrying a total of 10 persons: 6 crew members and 4 passengers. All individuals escaped the accident without injury. They were subsequently evacuated from the ice floe by another aircraft.
Disposition of Wreckage
After the occupants were safely removed, the wreckage was set on fire and abandoned on the drifting ice floe.
Subsequent Sighting
On December 11, 1959, an aircraft from the Icelandic Coast Guard spotted the wreck approximately 155 miles northwest of Iceland, near the coast of Greenland's Scoresby Sound (within 10 to 20 miles of the coast). However, due to fog, the wreck could not be located again a few days later. It eventually sank into the ocean.