1960 F-84 Thunderstreak crash
1960 F-84 Thunderstreak crash in the Netherlands
On 20 November 1960, a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-84F Thunderstreak crashed into a farm at Lutjelollum, between Wjelsryp and Franeker in Friesland. Seven people died and there were no survivors.
The aircraft, registration P-271, had departed Eindhoven Airport around 7:30 p.m. It was flying toward Emmen at about 1,000 meters when it crashed into the living area of the Postma farm around 8:50 p.m. The crash created a crater about 25 square meters and started a large fire; power in the area went out briefly.
All seven people aboard and at the farm were killed: the pilot, 25-year-old Lieutenant J.A.L.M. Snijders from Geleen; and the Postma family of six who lived at the farm—father Tjerk Postma (42), mother R. Postma-de Jong (41), and their children Tineke (11), Willem (10), Ali (8) and Gerrit (5). The family’s livestock, 16 animals including 12 cows, also perished; four animals in a cage survived.
An eyewitness, a milkman nearby, survived and described a huge pillar of fire. Firefighters from Franeker and Leeuwarden helped control the blaze. A nearby farm and other buildings were damaged by debris. A monument was later placed in Welrijp to remember the victims.
This was the worst Dutch military aircraft accident since 1957 and Friesland’s biggest aircraft tragedy. Investigators arrived the next day, but there were no signs the plane exploded in the air and the pilot gave no warning of trouble. Wreckage was found over the following years.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:17 (CET).