Zone
Bolívar

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando into the Caribbean Sea: 45 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1959 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
HK-515
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San Andrés – Cartagena – Medellín
MSN:
26941
YOM:
1944
Location:
Caribbean Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
42
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
45
Circumstances:
Twenty minutes after his departure from San Andrés Island, while cruising at an altitude of 9,500 feet, the captain informed ATC about his position vertical to PC-2 beacon in good weather conditions. This was the last radio transmission. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended three days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 45 occupants was found. Eight days later, some equipment of the right main gear were found on a beach of the Moron Island in Panama.
Probable cause:
Due to the lack of evidence, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando in Bogotá

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1953 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Lineas Interamericana Aérea
Registration:
HK-605
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bogotá – Cartagena – Barranquilla
MSN:
30362
YOM:
1944
Location:
Bogotá-Techo
Bogotá Capital District
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bogotá-Techo Airport, while in initial climb, the crew encountered technical problems with the left engine. The pilot-in-command reduced his altitude and completed an emergency landing in a wasteland located six km southeast of the airport. Both occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine after takeoff.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 in Panama: 46 killed

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Andrés - Cartagena
Location:
Panama
All Panama
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
42
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
46
Circumstances:
On a flight from San Andrés Island to Cartagena, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and lost his route. The aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the San Blas Province, Panama. All 46 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-50-DL in Medellín: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1951 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
HK-504
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Medellín – Cartagena
MSN:
10062
YOM:
1943
Location:
Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera
Antioquia
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport at 0540LT on a cargo flight to Cartagena. Few minutes later, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and obtained the permission to return for an emergency landing. While approaching the airfield from the northwest, the airplane hit the chimney of the Tejícondor factory located in the suburb of Belén, stalled and crashed in a huge explosion. Both crew members and one person on the ground were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Venezuela: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1948 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
C-40
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Maracaibo – Cartagena
Location:
Venezuela
All Venezuela
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
About half an hour after its departure from Maracaibo Airport, the aircraft crashed in a mountainous region located in the east part of Venezuela. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Cartagena, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace was found. The wreckage was located in June 1959 in an isolated area. All four occupants were killed, among them Hernando Navarro Botero, Director of the company. The registration remains unconfirmed.

Craqsh of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Madrid AFB

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1948
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
C-414
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Cartagena – Madrid
MSN:
529
Location:
Madrid AFB
Cundinamarca
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Madrid AFB, the crew decided to make a go around when the seaplane stalled and crashed short of runway threshold. All three crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed. Engine failure is suspected.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar off Cartagena: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 10, 1947 at 1515 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-60 LodeStar
Operator:
Registration:
C-801
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Cartagena – Bogotá
Location:
Cartagena
Bolívar
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
During initial climb, while at a height of some 300 meters, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea few hundred yards off shore. Both crew members were killed.

Crash of a Farman F.40 off Cartagena: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1920
Type of aircraft:
Farman F.40
Operator:
Compañia Colombiana de Navegación Aérea
Registration:
Santa Marta
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Cartagena - Barranquilla
Location:
Cartagena
Bolívar
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from the bay of Cartagena, while climbing, the engine stopped. The pilot Félix Fratoni lost control of the aircraft that lost height and crashed in the sea. The pilot and a passenger were killed while a second passenger was injured. Miguel Araujo, Director of the newspaper 'El Porvenir', was the only survivor.
Probable cause:
Engine failure due to fuel exhaustion. The engineer in charge to prepare the flight forgot to put fuel in the tank prior to departure, and the pilot was unaware of that and did not make any preflight check.
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