Brussels - Gütersloh

On June 26, 1963 at 12:00 PM, Brussels - Gütersloh experienced a crash involving Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, operated by Belgian Air Force - Force Aérienne Belge - Belgische Luchtmacht, with the event recorded near Augustdorf North Rhine-Westphalia.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

47 people were known to be on board, 38 fatalities were recorded, 9 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 80.9%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 42, passenger fatalities: 33, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The aircraft departed Brussels-Melsbroek Airport in the morning on a flight to Gütersloh Airbase, Germany. Approaching Augustdorf, the captain decided to reduce his altitude to 2,500 feet to make a reconnaissance of the military training camp of Senne located 7 km south of Augustdorf. At this time, British troops were engaged in local exercices consisting of mortar shell fire. While flying too low, the aircraft was struck by several mortar shell and caught fire. Nine passengers were able to bail out and were later recovered uninjured. Out of control, the airplane went into a dive and crashed in flames, killing all 38 remaining occupants. It was reported few days after this tragic event that the aircraft should never being in this area at this time as it has been previously delimited by the British Troops for scheduled exercices. For unknown reason, the crew failed to follow the minimum safe altitude that was fixed at 10,000 feet over the area that day.

Aircraft reference details include registration CP-45, MSN 246, year of manufacture 1952.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.9092°, 8.7382°.