Zone
Guatemala

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Seymour Island

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-9038
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Guatemala City - Seymour Island
MSN:
2510
YOM:
1941
Location:
Seymour Island
Galápagos
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful flight from Guatemala City, the airplane landed at Seymour Island Airfield then collided with a Bell P-39D Air Cobra registered 41-7096. There were no casualties but both airplanes were destroyed.

Crash of a Boeing B-17B Flying Fortress in Guatemala City

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
38-264
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2023
YOM:
1938
Location:
Guatemala City-La Aurora
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Guatemala City Airport on a patrol mission. During the takeoff roll, the pilot failed to synchronize both engines n°2 and 4, causing the airplane to head across the grass towards the terminal. The B-17 hit a diagonal water run-off ditch that tore off the landing gear and caused the bomber to slide another 50 feet until it stopped. All nine crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
Frederick E. Price.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after the pilot failed to synchronize engines n°2 and 4 during takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas B-18A Bolo in Guatemala City

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
38-603
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2653
YOM:
1938
Location:
Guatemala City-La Aurora
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taking off from Guatemala City Airport, the twin engine airplane collided with a second USAAC Douglas B-18A Bolo registered 37-586. There were no casualties but both airplanes were damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas B-18A Bolo in Guatemala City

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
37-586
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2586
YOM:
1937
Location:
Guatemala City-La Aurora
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taking off from Guatemala City Airport, the twin engine airplane collided with a second USAAC Douglas B-18A Bolo registered 38-603. There were no casualties but both airplanes were damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Caudron C.635 Simoun in Guatemala City

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Caudron C.630/C.635 Simoun
Operator:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Registration:
F-ANXK
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
New York - Guatemala City - Punta Arenas
MSN:
7088.15
YOM:
1935
Location:
Guatemala City-La Aurora
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from New York to Punta Arenas, south Chile. While taking off from Guatemala City Airport, the aircraft was unable to gain height, stalled and crashed in a field past the runway end. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, pilot,
André Prévot, pilot.
Probable cause:
The aircraft could not takeoff due to a mistake in the fuel quantity. The crew made confusion between US and British gallons. So, the aircraft was too heavy upon departure and was unable to climb due to a considerable amount of fuel on board.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-118B in San José Pinula: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
NC14273
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Salvador – Guatemala City
MSN:
1306
YOM:
1934
Location:
San José Pinula
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While descending to La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City, while on a mail flight from San Salvador-Comalapa, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near San José Pinula, about 13 km southeast of La Aurora the airport. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
A. Paschal, pilot,
Al Palmer, copilot,
J. P. Neyman, radio navigator.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Amecameca de Juárez: 14 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1936 at 1106 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ford 5
Operator:
Registration:
XA-BCB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Mexico City - Guatemala City
MSN:
5-AT-012
YOM:
1928
Location:
Amecameca de Juárez
México
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft departed Mexico City Airport at 1030LT on a charter flight to Guatemala City, carrying four crew members and 10 German tourists. While flying over the area of Amecameca de Juárez, the crew attempted to make a tour of the Popocatépetl volcano and the local National Park. While completing a turn at low speed, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All 14 occupants were killed.
Crew:
J. Preciado Acosta, pilot,
Adrian Borchers, engineer,
Adolfo Limón, radio operator,
Daniel Madrigal, steward.
Passengers:
Prince Adolf zu Schaumburg-Lippe,
Princess Ellen Elisabeth Schaumburg-Lippe,
Baron Siegmund von Stieber,
Mrs. Dora Thein,
Mrs. Viktoria Thein,
Baron Elmer von Roneczy,
Adolf Franz Igler,
Mrs. Marie Margarethe Harder,
Mrs. Elisabeth Schroer,
Mrs. Lisebet Pust.
Probable cause:
Prior to the accident, XA-BCB was seen flying at a low altitude, and there was speculation that the pilot, in an attempt to give to his passengers a scenic overview of the terrain, may have lost control during a turn because of an insufficient speed or because the aircraft was caught by downdraft.

Crash of a Kreutzer K-5 Air Coach in Sololá: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1935
Type of aircraft:
Kreutzer K-5 Air Coach
Operator:
Compania Nacional de Aviacion de Guatemala
Registration:
ABD-21
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Guatemala City - Sololá
MSN:
104
Location:
Sololá
Sololá
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was flying to Sololá with an engineer of the company and spare parts dedicated to a Ford 5 of the same operator which has an incident the day before. On approach, the crew encountered poor visibility due to bad weather conditions. The three engine aircraft impacted the wooded slope of a mountain and was destroyed. All three occupants were killed.

Crash of a Ryan B-1 Brougham in Guatemala City: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1929
Type of aircraft:
Ryan B-1 Brougham
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Demonstration
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Guatemala City - Guatemala City
Location:
Guatemala City-La Aurora
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew and both passengers were performing a flight over Guatemala city on board this Ryan B-1 Brougham owned by the Cuerpo de Aeronáutica Militar de Guatemala. While flying over the city at a too low altitude, the aircraft hit the roof of a house and crashed. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Col Jacinto Rodríguez Díaz, pilot,
Lt José Luis Balcárcel, copilot.
Passengers:
Engineer Julio Montano Novella, consul of Guatemala in New York, and his son Carlos Montano Novella.
Subscribe to Guatemala City-La Aurora