Date & Time:
Aug 14, 1978 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
HK-1350
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá - Tame
MSN:
22557
YOM:
1945
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
15
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
18
Captain / Total hours on type:
12435
Copilot / Total hours on type:
8806
Aircraft flight hours:
27415
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Bogotá-El Dorado Airport at 0938LT on a cargo service to Tame, carrying three crew members, 15 passengers and a load consisting of 2,300 kilos of foodstuffs. At 1007LT, the pilot informed ATC about his position over Guateque and estimated to be over Yopal at 1030LT. This was the last radio transmission. At 1030LT, while cruising at an altitude of 3,600 metres in poor weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Peña de Laura. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 18 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Carlos Augusto Herrera Rodríguez, pilot,
Jorge Alberto Díaz Muñoz, copilot,
Gabriel Moreno García, flight engineer.
Crew:
Carlos Augusto Herrera Rodríguez, pilot,
Jorge Alberto Díaz Muñoz, copilot,
Gabriel Moreno García, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain caused by the combination of the following factors:
- Decision of the crew to continue the flight under VFR mode in weather conditions below minimums for such visual flight.
- The crew got lost in IMC conditions since the pilot failed to navigate properly, causing the airplane to deviate from the route mentioned in the flight plan.
- Inadequate IFR operation due to the improper use of the aircraft for instrument flight, as it did not have the necessary navigation equipment.
- Inadequate preflight inspection, as the pilot did not inspect the navigation equipment or, aware that it was out of service, began the flight under such conditions.
- Unfavorable wind, cloud cover, lack of visibility and rain in the area of the trajectory followed by the aircraft.
- Deficiencies in maintenance and inspection related to the failure to technically correct the suction to the normal value, which remained very high for more than two months, potentially affecting the readings of the gyroscopic instruments.
- Authorizing the operation of the aircraft with the VOR and ADF systems that were unserviceable.
- Lack of supervision on part of the Operator over the aircraft and crew in the areas of maintenance, dispatch, operation and exploitation, allowing the owner to carry out these activities according to his criteria, which resulted in the aircraft starting the flight with the navigation equipment out of service, in violation of the Aeronautical Regulations Manual.
- Decision of the crew to continue the flight under VFR mode in weather conditions below minimums for such visual flight.
- The crew got lost in IMC conditions since the pilot failed to navigate properly, causing the airplane to deviate from the route mentioned in the flight plan.
- Inadequate IFR operation due to the improper use of the aircraft for instrument flight, as it did not have the necessary navigation equipment.
- Inadequate preflight inspection, as the pilot did not inspect the navigation equipment or, aware that it was out of service, began the flight under such conditions.
- Unfavorable wind, cloud cover, lack of visibility and rain in the area of the trajectory followed by the aircraft.
- Deficiencies in maintenance and inspection related to the failure to technically correct the suction to the normal value, which remained very high for more than two months, potentially affecting the readings of the gyroscopic instruments.
- Authorizing the operation of the aircraft with the VOR and ADF systems that were unserviceable.
- Lack of supervision on part of the Operator over the aircraft and crew in the areas of maintenance, dispatch, operation and exploitation, allowing the owner to carry out these activities according to his criteria, which resulted in the aircraft starting the flight with the navigation equipment out of service, in violation of the Aeronautical Regulations Manual.
Final Report:
HK-1350.pdf1.02 MB
