1938 Amsterdam KLM Douglas DC-3 crash
Douglas DC-3 · Crashed during approach in fog; exact cause undetermined
From Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Germany to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Event
- Event typeAccident: someone killed or seriously injured, or the aircraft substantially damaged (NTSB definition). Incident: an occurrence that affected or could have affected safety, short of that. Glossary
- Accident
- Event fatalities
- 6 · all aircraft and ground
- Ground fatalities
- Unknown
- Occupants
- Unknown
- Survivors
- 13
- InjuriesFatal: death within 30 days. Serious: over 48 hours in hospital within a week, most broken bones, severe bleeding, nerve or organ damage, or serious burns. Minor: anything less. Glossary
- 13
- OperationWhat kind of flying it was, grouped by the rules it flew under: airline (US Part 121), air taxi and commuter (Part 135), general aviation (Part 91 and similar), military or government. Glossary
- Airline
Douglas DC-3
- Aircraft type
- Douglas DC-3
- Category
- Airplane · from aircraft type
- RegistrationThe aircraft's tail number, such as N12345 or G-ABCD. Registrations are reissued, so the same one years apart can be a different aircraft. Glossary
- PH-ARY
- Operator
- KLM
- Onboard fatalities
- 6
- Route
- From Berlin Tempelhof Airport, GermanyTo Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
Cause areas
- Not determined › Not determined
From the investigation findings the Wikipedia article reports, sorted into the NTSB's cause areas with AI assistance.
Approximate · Estimated position: Amsterdam, near the place the Wikipedia article names. Not the accident site.
From the Wikipedia article
The 1938 Amsterdam KLM Douglas DC-3 crash occurred on 14 November 1938, when a KLM Douglas DC-3 named IJsvogel (registration PH-ARY) crashed while approaching Schiphol Airport after a scheduled flight from Berlin Tempelhof Airport. The aircraft struck the ground in the Riekerpolder during an approach in fog and broke apart.
Six of the 19 people on board were killed, including four of the five crew members. The only surviving crew member was the steward, while twelve passengers survived, most with injuries.
An investigation by the Dutch Council for Aviation was unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. No mechanical defects were found, and the Council concluded that although fog was present, the weather had not made a landing impossible. The investigation resulted in a recommendation that the aircraft's altimeter be positioned so that it was visible to both pilots during instrument approaches.
The accident was widely reported in the Netherlands, and Captain Jan Duimelaar was buried with full honours in Heemstede. In 2007, his grave was designated as part of the cultural-historical monument garden at the General Cemetery of Heemstede in recognition of his contribution to Dutch aviation.
The crash is among the worst air disasters of the KLM.:
Flight and crash
On 14 November 1938, the KLM Douglas DC-3 PH-ARY, named IJsvogel ("Kingfisher") commanded by Captain Jan Duimelaar, was operating a scheduled flight from Berlin Tempelhof Airport to Schiphol Airport after completing a return flight to Berlin. The aircraft departed Tempelhof at 16:27 and was scheduled to arrive at Schiphol at 18:20. There were 19 people on board, consisting of five crew members and 14 passengers.
As the aircraft approached Schiphol, dense fog had developed over the airport. Because a visual landing was no longer possible, the captain was instructed to use the radio beacon located on the Olympic Stadium's Marathon Tower to make a straight-in approach to the runway. Before attempting to land, the captain elected to fly one circuit over Schiphol.
During the second approach, the aircraft apparently became disoriented. Flying at an altitude of less than 30 metres (98 ft), it deviated from the intended approach path, crossed the Spijtellaantje and the old Jaagpad, and crashed into the Riekerpolder, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from Schiphol Airport, at 18:41. The aircraft broke in two and the starboard wing had separated from the fuselage. The detached cockpit and main section of the fuselage came to rest in a drainage ditch rest pointing westward while the rear section of the fuselage slid over it.
Investigation and cause
Investigation
The Dutch Council for Aviation immediately opened an investigation into the accident. In its public findings, issued on 17 August 1939 (Report No. B1A5-102), the Council concluded that the exact cause of the accident could not be determined.
The investigation found no evidence of mechanical failure, and concluded that the weather conditions, although involving fog, had not made a landing impossible. Initial suspicion centred on a possible malfunction of the aircraft's altimeter, because the aircraft had flown unusually low before impact. Examination later showed that the altimeter had functioned correctly.
The Council also expressed no doubts regarding the competence of the two pilots. During the public inquiry, however, conflicting testimony from the surviving steward and several passengers created uncertainty over which pilot had been flying the aircraft during the final approach. According to pilot Koene Dirk Parmentier, who testified as a witness, it could never be conclusively established who was flying the aircraft at the moment of the crash, a position that became the official view of KLM. Another witness, A. Viruly, considered it highly probable that Captain Van Gemeren, head of the flying school and due to return to Soesterberg after the flight, had been at the controls. The Council observed that if second pilot W. van Gemeren had been at the controls, questions could be raised because he had comparatively little experience flying the Douglas DC-3 under conditions of fog and darkness, and did not possess a Category B pilot's licence.
The investigation also examined reports that the IJsvogel had been forced to take evasive action to avoid another KLM aircraft arriving from Groningen. No evidence supporting this theory was found. However, the pilot of the Groningen flight received a reprimand for failing to comply fully with instructions issued by the control tower.
The Council also noted that one member of the crew had a physical condition that should receive greater attention during future medical examinations.
Among its recommendations, the Council advised that the aircraft's altimeter should be positioned so that it was clearly visible to both pilots rather than only to the left-seat pilot, allowing both crew members to monitor the instrument during instrument approaches.
Text from the Wikipedia article “1938 Amsterdam KLM Douglas DC-3 crash” (revision 1365413031, retrieved 2026-09-18) by its authors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Extracted as plain text: references, tables, images and some sections are left out. Read the article
Sources
Wikipedia article: 1938 Amsterdam KLM Douglas DC-3 crash
- Revision
- 1365413031 · 2026-07-22 · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Wikidata
- Q4333723
- Licence
- Text CC BY-SA 4.0, by the article's authors; Wikidata CC0; town positions GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
Where each value comes from
- Record
- Wikipedia article "1938 Amsterdam KLM Douglas DC-3 crash" (page 83747677, revision 1365413031)
- Date
- Wikipedia infobox: date
- Place and country
- Wikipedia infobox: site
- Map position
- place the Wikipedia infobox site links (Wikidata coordinates)
- Aircraft, operator and route
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft type, registration, operator, origin and destination; route airports from the linked airport articles' Wikidata codes (OurAirports)
- Operation
- operator is an airline according to Wikidata
- Fatalities
- Wikipedia infobox: aircraft fatalities
- Ground fatalities
- not stated in the Wikipedia infobox
- Summary
- Wikipedia infobox: summary
Source notes (1)
- Wikipedia · Facts from the Wikipedia article's infobox and coordinates, not checked against an investigation report. Independent review pending.