12 fatalities

Fatal crash of survey aircraft on Kronborg Glacier (131521)

Kronborg Glacier, GreenlandFlight

On January 12, 1962, a Lockheed P-2 Neptune (registration 131521) operated by United States Navy - USN was involved in an aviation accident near Kronborg Glacier, Greenland in flight. 12 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The specific cause of the crash remains undetermined. 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 routine survey mission over Greenland ended in a fatal accident when an aircraft crashed onto the Kronborg Glacier, resulting in no survivors.

What happened

During a scheduled aerial survey operation conducted along the coastlines of Greenland, an aircraft crashed into the Kronborg Glacier. The flight was being operated as part of a routine mission involving personnel from the Thule AFB contingent. At the time of the impact, the specific circumstances surrounding the descent and subsequent crash remained undetermined.

Upon impact with the glacier, the aircraft was completely destroyed by the force of the accident. There were no survivors among the occupants of the plane. The incident resulted in a total of 12 fatalities, accounting for all crew members on board during the mission.

Findings

At this time, the exact cause of the crash into the glacier is listed as unknown. No specific mechanical failures or environmental factors have been officially confirmed to have triggered the accident.

Probable cause

The specific cause of the crash remains undetermined.