Caranavi

En route on a cargo flight from La Paz to San Borja, the crew encountered technical problems with the left engine and was cleared to divert to Caranavi for an emergency landing. After touchdown, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. While both pilots escaped uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. No casualties.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. No casualties.

The aircraft was on a non-scheduled domestic flight from Caranavi to Rurrenabaque It took off from Caranavi at 0806/10 hours local time. The aircraft flew for 7 minutes on a true heading of approximately 320°. When it was over Alcoche, 21 km from Caranavi, at an estimated altitude of 3500 - 4000 feet, ground witnesses noticed the left engine ceased functioning and that an increase of power was applied to the other engine. The aircraft was then seen to be flying with the right wing ahead of the left and a few seconds later the aircraft started turning left towards the widest part of the valley in which the aircraft was flying. During the turn the aircraft assumed an almost inverted attitude but it recovered. From the flight path described by witnesses the nose of the aircraft went up twice before going into a 180° change of direction and before crashing into the river. The aircraft struck the surface in a level attitude with a high rate of vertical descent There was no forward movement on impact. The force of impact was so great as to flatten the lower surface of the left wing and the fuselage. The floor of the fuselage was forced to the ceiling.

At 14:35 Curtiss C-46 CP-541 was boarded. The takeoff had to be postponed due to some problems and associated repair of the propeller governor of no. 2 engine. A preflight engine test was carried out, which was satisfactory. After rolling 190 m during takeoff the plane veered left and then gradually to the right where it rang along the edge. The right wing tip was well outside the boundary of the 26,5 m wide runway. The right main gear went off the runway and into a drainage. At the 496 m point of the takeoff run the right wingtip struck an adobe wall and was detached from the wing. The takeoff run was continued and at the 580 m point the plane became airborne. The no. 2 engine propeller then cut a tree (6in in diameter) located at the 707 m point. The Curtiss continued to be airborne with a right bank increasing to between 65 and 70 degrees. The right wing then struck some trees 15 m in height resulting in the aircraft crashing nose down into the ground. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Crew fate remains unknown.