Brussels – Shannon – Gander – New York

On September 18, 1946 at 02:42 AM, Brussels – Shannon – Gander – New York experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-4, operated by SABENA - Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne, with the event recorded near Gander Newfoundland & Labrador.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a plain, valley crash site.

44 people were known to be on board, 27 fatalities were recorded, 17 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 61.4%.

Crew on board: 7, crew fatalities: 6, passengers on board: 37, passenger fatalities: 21, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. Following an uneventful flight from Shannon, the crew started the descent to Gander Airport by night and in poor weather conditions. Most probably in a way to establish a visual contact with the ground, the captain reduced his altitude and passed below the minimum safe altitude when the aircraft hit trees and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located 35 km from the airport. A crew member and 16 passengers were rescued while 27 other occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration OO-CBG, MSN 42986, year of manufacture 1946.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 48.9417°, -54.6012°.