Crash of a Douglas C-54B-20-DO Skymaster in Vatnajökull

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
TF-RVC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Luxembourg – Reykjavik – New York
MSN:
27240
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the four engine aircraft christened 'Geysir' hit the northwest slope of the Vatnajökull glacier, in the southeast part of Iceland. As the airplane failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but due to poor weather conditions, the wreckage was spotted four days later only . As the crash site was difficult to reach, the first rescuers arrived on site two days later, on September 20. The aircraft was destroyed but all six crew members survived because the cargo turned out to contain expensive furs and Swiss chocolate. The crew was performing a cargo flight from Luxembourg to New York with an intermediate stop in Reykjavik.