It is an absolutely dramatic event: On November 19, 1946, the pilots of an American aircraft flying in clouds completely lose their orientation in the Alps. Suddenly, the plane crashes into the Gauligletscher glacier in the middle of Switzerland at about 250 kilometers per hour. Deep snow slows the brutal impact, so miraculously only one crew member is seriously injured. The crew, however, has no idea where they are, but can at least make distress calls. The American forces first search in the French part of the Alps, where they suspect the missing Douglas C-53, a military variant of the famous DC-3. In fact, however, the twin-engine plane veers far off course. It was not until November 21 that the wreckage was discovered, more by chance than anything else, on the Gauligletscher glacier at an altitude of around 3,000 meters. Mountain rescuers and soldiers set off on foot from Meiringen and reach the wreckage. However, a descent on the same day is impossible due to the exhaustion of the helpers. The next morning the surprise : military pilots show up with two Fieseler Storch airplanes. They dare to land on the Gauli near the rescue team with the Storch landing gear converted to skis. They succeed in flying all twelve survivors to safety at the Meiringen-Unterbach airfield. The event caused a worldwide sensation at the time and is now regarded as the beginning of Modern air rescue in the high mountains. The DC-3 left behind on the glacier was completely snowed in shortly after rescuing its passengers and disappeared deeper and deeper into the ice of the Gauli glacier. Only a few years ago, two young mountain hikers suddenly discovered a propeller of the plane released by the melting ice. However, during the last hot summers, the glacier now released so many parts of the crashed machine that the Swiss Army decided to launch a real clean-up operation. Therefore, the air force began the recovery of discovered parts of the wreckage. Up to two tons of Material, including an almost complete radial engine, parts of the wing, small parts and a propeller were found. The glacier transported them about three kilometers away from the crash site in the 72 years (2018). Helicopters are now flying the debris to the valley. There, the wreckage is being cataloged. Possibly they will be taken to a museum and exhibited there, since the accident 72 years ago caused a worldwide sensation and enormous media interest. In any case, the Americans do not want the found parts back. After the crash, they unceremoniously donated the wreckage to Switzerland. But the story of the "Miracle of the Gauli" does not end there: one of the two Fieseler storks involved in the rescue at the time has been restored to flying condition in recent years. It is to land again near the site of the former crash, as soon as snow and weather conditions are suitable, and thus bring the former spectacular rescue operation back into people's awareness.
Source: Jürgen Schelling
DC-3 Gauligletscher
