Crash of a Douglas C-47D in Bahía Negra: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 26, 1994
Operator:
Registration:
2009
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bahía Negra – Asunción
MSN:
17079/34346
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after liftoff, one of the engine failed. The aircraft lost height and crashed near the runway end. All occupants evacuated safely except the captain who was killed by the propellers of the left engine that detached and penetrated the cockpit.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-23-DK in Asunción: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1980
Operator:
Registration:
2016
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Asunción – Ayolas
MSN:
15703/27148
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Asunción-Silvio Pettirossi Airport, the crew reported an engine failure and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. The pilot-in-command completed a turn to reach the approach path when the airplane stalled and crashed onto houses located in the district of Lambaré, about 12 km southwest of the airport. All occupants were injured, one pilot was killed and there were no casualties on the ground.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for undetermined reasons.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 in Paraguay: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1972
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Miami - Asunción
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Asunción when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain. The wreckage was found eight days later in an isolated area. While the copilot survived, the captain died from his injuries.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando in Asunción: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 20, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N1245N
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Asunción – Montevideo
MSN:
22473
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed shortly after takeoff from Asunción-Silvio Pettirossi Airport while on a cargo flight to Montevideo-Carrasco Airport. Both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-20-DK in Pedro Juan Caballero: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1965
Operator:
Registration:
T-49
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Asunción – Pedro Juan Caballero
MSN:
15455/26900
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While descending to Pedro Juan Caballero Airport, the crew encountered technical problems and the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field and a crew member was killed while several passengers were injured. The aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas DC-6 near Salto: 31 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1960 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LV-ADS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Asunción – Buenos Aires
MSN:
43031
YOM:
1947
Flight number:
AR205
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
25
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
31
Aircraft flight hours:
19229
Aircraft flight cycles:
5314
Circumstances:
While in cruising altitude on a flight from Asunción to Buenos Aires, the airplane christened 'Mariano Moreno' suffered a major issue on engine number three. Shortly later, the airplane disintegrated in the air, dove into the ground and crashed in an open field located 12 km northeast of Salto. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 31 occupants were killed. Debris were scattered on more than five km.
Probable cause:
The immediate cause of the accident was overspeeding of No.3 propeller caused by irregular operation of the propeller governor, detachment of that propeller and impact with that of No.4 engine, followed by disintegration of the aircraft. The remote cause of the accident was insufficiently strict observance of engine maintenance conditions, because, while Pratt and Whitney Service Bulletins Nos. 1666 and 1680, dated 5 November 1957 and 15 May 1958 respectively, are not mandatory, the company should have taken account of the special circumstances in the history of No.3 engine, which resulted in the destruction of LV-ADS.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.106 Comet 4 in Asunción: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LV-AHP
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Buenos Aires – Asunción
MSN:
6411
YOM:
1959
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
44
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
On final approach to Asunción-Silvio Pettirossi Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with limited visibility. The four engine aircraft was too low, hit trees and struck the ground. On impact, the undercarriage were sheared off and the airplane slid for several yards before coming to rest in a wooded area. A crew member and a passenger were killed while all 48 other occupants were evacuated, some of them wounded. The aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
The crew led the aircraft pass below the glide in marginal weather conditions and continued the approach at an insufficient altitude, against published procedures.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Asunción: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZP-CBB
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Asunción - Asunción
MSN:
1608
Country:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed into the Río Paraguay in Asunción while making a demonstration flight. Two crewmen were killed while three others were rescued.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman near San Antonio de los Cobres: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1955 at 1400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ZP-CAX
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Mexico City – Antofagasta – Salta – Asunción
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on a delivery flight from Mexico City to Asunción, Paraguay, with intermediate stops at Antofagasta, Chile and Salta, Argentina. At 1245LT the aircraft took off from Antofagasta for Salta. It was to be a VFR flight via Chosque, Chile and San Antonio de los Cobres, Salta Province. The aircraft was seen at 1400 hours flying in a straight line at very low altitude in the direction of San Antonio de los Cobres 40 km east of Olapacato. One witness, believing that the aircraft intended to land, followed it in a jeep only to find its burned wreckage some 20 km away. It had crashed into the side of a hill rising north of Rio Tocomar, approximately 70 metres above the river bed. The height above sea level at this point is approximately 4,500 metres. One eye witness stated that the aircraft crashed in rectilinear horizontal flight into the northern slope of the hill and that the pilot had not taken any avoiding action. The pilot, the sole occupant, was killed, and the aircraft was destroyed by the crash and the fire which followed.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to a loss of control over the aircraft due to a possible state of anoxia on the part of the pilot. A contributing factor was inadequate flight preparation, as no account was taken of the need for oxygen- breathing equipment for high altitude flying.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-049 Constellation in Asunción: 16 killed

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1955 at 0115 LT
Operator:
Registration:
PP-PDJ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
London – Paris – Lisbon – Dakar – Recife – Rio de Janeiro – São Paulo – Asunción – Buenos Aires
MSN:
2032
YOM:
1946
Country:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from London to Buenos Aires with stops at Paris, Lisbon, Dakar, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Asunción, carrying 14 passengers and 10 crew. At 0105LT the Constellation called the Asunción control tower who cleared the flight to land on Runway 02 and requested the aircraft to call when on final approach. The last contact with the flight was made at 0115LT. From that time on a control tower employee reported the aircraft moved towards the south-southwest. He tried to sight it and noted that it headed towards the city, made a turn to the left and appeared to initiate its final straight-in approach. When sufficient time for a landing had elapsed the employee called attention to the lack of communication between the aircraft and the control tower. He continued to look out to the south where the aircraft would have appeared and saw a sudden burst of flame near the Paraguay Aero Club, south of the airport. Five passengers and three crew members survived. The aircraft was completely destroyed by fire which broke out immediately after impact.
Probable cause:
The accident was due to a piloting error in making the approach circuit on instruments. An error in timing resulted in the final approach being initiated at too great a distance from the airport. Proof of this was provided by the fact
that the landing gear was found extended, the flaps down, the mixture control set at 'rich', all of which indicated that the aircraft was in the ready to land condition.
Final Report: