Amsterdam – Croydon

On November 6, 1946 at 08:45 AM, Amsterdam – Croydon experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, with the event recorded near Shere Surrey.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

20 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 20 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 15, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft entered the London Control Zone when QBI conditions (compulsory IFR conditions) were in force. When the pilot estimated that he flew over the Croydon MF beacon, he had actually passed it two or three minutes earlier. He continued to fly on a westerly course for three or four minutes until receiving instructions that he was next to land, and that the landing direction was 120 degrees M. The aircraft then began to descend again and after receiving several QDM's the pilot turned on to the course for Croydon. The pilot levelled out at an indicated altitude of 1,200 feet and the undercarriage was lowered. Almost immediately after, whilst still flying in cloud, the aircraft struck the tops of trees and crashed. The pilot had set the altimeter to the sea level pressure instead of airfield pressure. Consequently the aircraft's height would be about 230 feet lower than that indicated by the altimeter. Source: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19461106-0

Aircraft reference details include registration PH-TBO, MSN 13638, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.2193°, -0.4648°.