Incident Overview
Date: Sunday 30 December 1956
Aircraft Type: Lockheed C-121C Super Constellation
Owner/operator: United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: 54-0165
Location: 1 km from Dhahran International Airport (DHA) –
ÿ Saudi Arabia
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 38
Component Affected: Super Constellation aircraftSuper Constellation aircraft
Category: Accident
A C-121C Super Constellation aircraft crashed near Fort Dix-McGuire AFB, NJ, after a military transport flight to Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was operating under adverse visibility conditions due to fog, and experienced a near-miss landing near the runway. The remaining two aircraft continued their flight to Bahrain.A C-121C Super Constellation aircraft crashed near Fort Dix-McGuire AFB, NJ, after a military transport flight to Saudi Arabia. The aircraft was operating under adverse visibility conditions due to fog, and experienced a near-miss landing near the runway. The remaining two aircraft continued their flight to Bahrain.
Description
The C-121C Super Constellation took off from Charleston AFB, SC (CHS) on a Military Air Transportation System (MATS) flight to the U.S. base at Dhahran International Airport (DHA), Saudi Arabia. The flight landed at Fort Dix-McGuire AFB, NJ (WRI) for an overnight stop. It then continued to Lajes AFB, Azores and Tripoli. Three Super Constellation planes departed Tripoli for Dhahran. Visibility at Dhahran was poor due to fog. The airplane started the approach but crashed about 1 km short of the runway. The remaining two C-121 planes continued to Bahrain. Reports indicate that the Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) was inoperative at the time of the accident.
Primary Cause
Poor visibility due to fog during approach.Poor visibility due to fog during approach.Share on:
