Zone
Colón

Crash of an Embraer EMB-110P1 Bandeirante near Colón: 21 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1994 at 1830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante
Operator:
Alas Chiricanas
Registration:
HP-1202AC
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Colón – Panama City
MSN:
110-375
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
00901
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Colón-Enrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport in poor weather conditions (low pressure zone). During initial climb, the aircraft suffered an explosion and crashed 10 km from the airport. The crew did not send any distress call. The aircraft disintegrated and all 21 occupants were killed, among them 12 Jewish businessman.
Probable cause:
It was reported that metal fragment were recovered on all bodies and that the 'accident' was the result of an in-flight explosion caused by the presence of a bomb places on board by members of a terrorist group called 'Ansar Allah'.

Crash of a Martin PBM-5S2 Mariner off Colón: 15 killed

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
59232
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
59232
YOM:
1945
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
16
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
While taking off from the Colón-Coco Solo NAS, the aircraft suffered a right engine failure, lost speed and height and eventually burst into flames while hitting a concrete pier. A crewman survived while 15 others were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine on takeoff.

Crash of a Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer in Colón: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1954 at 2017 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
On final approach by night to France Field Airport in Colón, the airplane hit tree tops and crashed in a dense wooded area located 1,200 meters short of runway 36. Seven crew members were killed while seven others were injured.
Crew:
Lt Stephen E. Griffin, †
Michael R. Paveslch, †
A1c Clarence Fry, †
A3c John R. Parmenter Jr., †
A3c Robert C. Kratt, †
A3c Harold T. Lane, †
Arthur L. Manor, †
Lt John E. Tochey,
Lt Robert J. Bixler,
A1c Robert D. Ross Jr.,
A1c Robert V. Delke,
A2c Kenneth D. Klewer,
A2c Andrew R. Hinkle,
A3c Clarence H. Schneider.

Crash of a Martin PBM-5 Mariner off Colón: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
84655
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
En route, while cruising over the Caribbean Sea, the crew declared an emergency and informed ground about a fire on board. While descending to Coco Solo AFB located in Colón, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames into the Caribbean Sea some 21 km off shore. All nine crew members were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Colón

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
04454
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
456
YOM:
1941
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The seaplane water looped and sank in the Manzanillo Bay off Colón. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Colón: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
04468
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coco Solo - Coco Solo
MSN:
470
YOM:
1941
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training exercise in the region of Colón. While descending to the Manzanillo Bay, off Coco Solo NAS, the crew turned on the approach lights, and with engines half throttle, come in for landing in a almost normal attitude when the seaplane impacted the water surface, came to a halt and sank. Five crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
Lt Cmdr Rennick S. Calperhead, pilot, †
Ens C. J. Frolick, †
Ens A. P. Keleher, †
Ens R. B. Mauro, †
Amm2c J. C. Morgan,
Aom2c C. H. Burkowske, †
Amm3c A. J. Sweeney, †
Amm3c J. G. Hollywood,
Amm3c Michael Sypko Jr.,
Amm3c R. B. Hutchinson,
Amm3c C. A. Jenkins,
Sea2c G. W. Barlow. †
Probable cause:
It is believed that the pilot misjudged the distance between the aircraft and the water surface due to the glassy water surface that probably caused an optical illusion and wrong distance indication to the crew, favored by the approach lights. The light apparently penetrated the surface of water without giving any indication of position of water and mislead to a false conception of altitude.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Colón: 14 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
04474
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coco Solo - Coco Solo
MSN:
476
YOM:
1941
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
The seaplane departed Coco Solo NAS in Colón on a maritime patrol flight. During the takeoff run on the Manzanillo Bay, it collided with a tug named 'Alhajucla' and exploded. All seven crew members were killed as well as six crew members on board the tug.
Crew:
Raymond Edward Jordan, pilot, †
Ens Miller Hugo Piberg, †
Ens Harry Harrison Ford Jr., †
Ens Alfred Curtis Jr ., †
Amm2c Joseph Cornelius Rowinsky, †
Rm3c Mack Cecil Kelson, †
Sea2c Langley Anton Willis, †
Sea2c Charles Yohn, †
AP1c Bergon Frank Brokaw.
Tug Crew:
William Herbert Nesbitt, QM, †
William H. Tredick, pilot, †
Charles C. Sayers, oiler, †
Oswego Newball, boatswain, †
Harold L. Stevenson, chief engineer, †
Fritz S. Jules, engineer room helper, †
Jishua R. Buntin, seaman,
Charles Ben, boatswain,
James W. Turner, seaman,
William E. Lee, cooker,
Jose Guttierez, seaman.

Crash of a Douglas B-18 Bolo off Colón

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
36-318
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
1706
YOM:
1936
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the pilot was forced to ditch the airplane into the sea off Colón. All occupants were rescued while the airplane sank and was lost at coordinates 9°25'00.0"N 79°55'00.0"W.

Crash of a Douglas B-18 Bolo near Colón

Date & Time: May 18, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
37-27
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1888
YOM:
1937
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the airplane crashed some 65 km west of Colón. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Sikorsky S-43 off Cristóbal: 14 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1937 at 1938 LT
Type of aircraft:
Sikorsky S-43
Operator:
Registration:
NC15065
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Lima – Guayaquil – Tumaco – Cali – Cristóbal – Panama City
MSN:
4305
YOM:
1936
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Captain / Total hours on type:
991.00
Circumstances:
While descending to Cristóbal-France Field (Colón) at an altitude of some 2,000 feet, the pilot informed ATC that he was approaching the city via the Bahía Limón Bay. In limited visibility due to rain falls, the float plane named 'Santa Maria' went out of control and crashed into the sea few km offshore. Debris were found the following floating on water and all 14 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The Board is conclusively of the opinion that the accident was caused by the NC15065 striking the water while moving less then 90 miles per hour, tearing the ship to pieces, causing the death of all aboard and that a fire resulted from the impact with the water. The Board is convinced that at the time of the collision the plane had a minimum of 80 gallons of gas which would have burned on the water a sufficient length of time to cause all burns or scorches found one any recovered wreckage. The specific contributing cause of this aircraft colliding with the water is beyond the knowledge of man. However, there must have been a specific contributing cause or causes, and the Board is of the opinion that the most probable contributing cause is one of the following and in the order named:
- Failure of one or both engines due to faulty gasoline system, occurring during the spiraling down mentioned in the pilot's last radio message.
- The encountering of a sudden severe rain, as altitude was being lost by the plane in the spiraling descent, resulting in the blanking out of all visual contact.
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