490 After Hitting Sastrugi Ridge in Greenland

 Photo by Will Turk, 61st TCS Commander, April 1959

Shortly after 70-484 and 70-487 were damaged on landing at DYE III, 70-494 sustained major damage when it struck a sastrugi ridge during landing. Sastrugi ridges are hard ice ridges, similar to sand dunes in the desert, formed by the Artic wind. The aircraft experienced severe damage to the nose gear assembly, the nose wheel, and forward cargo compartment. To the right are the very earliest versions of the snowmobile.