Crash of a Curtiss C-46 in Panama City

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
HC-SJA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Miami – Panama City
Location:
Panama City
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On landing, an undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway to the left and came to rest in flames into a ravine. While both pilots were rescued, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
Undercarriage collapsed on landing.

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 Consolidated A-10B Catalina off Jaqué: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
45-57840
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Jaqué
Darién
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The seaplane left Albrook AFB in Panama City that day on a maritime patrol mission. Cruising along the Panamanian coast, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances few dozen km off Jaqué. All seven crew members were killed.

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 Boeing B-17G-100-VE Flying Fortress off Coiba Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1946 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-85626
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
8535
YOM:
1944
Location:
Coiba Island
Veraguas
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a survey mission following the recent disappearance of a US military plane in the region of the Coiba Island. For such operation, three USAAF B-17 were dispatched with 7 pax and 3 crew per aircraft. Enroute, while cruising at an estimated height of 75 meters, 44-85626 hit with its right wing the empennage of 44-85624. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea, about 30 km north of Coiba Island. All 20 occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that both crew misjudged the distance between both aircraft.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-100-VE Flying Fortress off Coiba Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1946 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-85624
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
8533
YOM:
1944
Location:
Coiba Island
Veraguas
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a survey mission following the recent disappearance of a US military plane in the region of the Coiba Island. For such operation, three USAAF B-17 were dispatched with 7 pax and 3 crew per aircraft. Enroute, while cruising at an estimated height of 75 meters, 44-85626 hit with its right wing the empennage of 44-85624. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea, about 30 km north of Coiba Island. All 20 occupants on both aircraft were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that both crew misjudged the distance between both aircraft.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-15-DC Skymaster on Taboga Island: 23 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1946 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
43-17231
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
West Palm Beach - Albrook
MSN:
22181
YOM:
9
Location:
Taboga Island
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Captain / Total flying hours:
1335
Captain / Total hours on type:
543.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1312
Copilot / Total hours on type:
393
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from West Palm Beach to Albrook AFB, Panama City. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot started the descent from the south when the ATC instructed the crew to maintain a minimum safe altitude of 1,000 feet on approach. The four engine aircraft hit the slope of a shrouded mountain located on Taboga Island, about 15 km south of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 23 occupants were killed, among them one civilian.
Source: http://www.canalzonestudygroup.com/Issue133.pdf
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the members of the Investigating Board that the pilot sighted Otoque Island and mistook it for Taboga and that he was in the vicinity of Otoque Island when he gave his estimated position of 15 miles southeast of the field. It is furtherbelieved that when the pilot called the tower and gave his estimated position as 5 miles south of field and at 1,000 feet on instruments that he thought he was past Taboga Island, approaching Albrook Field, and that by dropping down a little he would be contact again. Actually the estimated distance of 10 miles traveled would place him over Taboga from Otoque. The pilot, Captain Lawrence W. Parks, filed an instrument flight plan from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, to Albrook Field, without holding a currently effective Instrument Pilot Certificate. AAF Form 8 (white) or AAF Form 8A (green) in violation of AAF Regulation 60-16A. The weather on Taboga Island at the time of the crash was reported as a ceiling of approximately 750 feet above sea level, with a visibility of 15 miles. The top 250 feet of Taboga was covered with clouds and the visibility was 1/16 mile with light drizzle.

Crash of a Douglas B-18 Bolo in Panama City

Date & Time: May 11, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
37-9
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
1870
YOM:
1937
Location:
Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert (Albrook AFB)
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff from Albrook AFB and destroyed. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-13-CO Liberator at Howard AFB: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-23950
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
745
YOM:
1942
Location:
Howard AFB (Panama City)
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances at Howard AFB, killing nine crew members.
Crew:
Cpt Leonard H. Knott,
1st Lt Hubert F. Hohn,
2nd Lt Paul C. DeMarsh,
2nd Lt Robert L. Siegel,
S/Sgt Hiram L. Havens,
T/Sgt Albert C. Roark,
Sgt Glenn A. Blackburn,
Sgt Francis V. Rutkoski,
Cpl Francis B. Gayne.

Crash of a Consolidated LB-30 Liberator in Río Hato

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated LB-30 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
AL618
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
116
YOM:
1941
Location:
Río Hato
Coclé
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff and destroyed. There were no fatalities.
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