Panama City

While cruising by night at an insufficient altitude, the airplane struck the slope of the Turrialba Volcano. The wreckage was found a day later and all six occupants have been killed.

The four engine airplane was descending to Panama City Airport when it struck the slope of Mt Cerro Gaital located 75 km southwest of Panama City. The aircraft was destroyed and all 10 crew members were killed.

The aircraft was on a flight between Panama City and Maracaibo, carrying a crew of 6 and 17 passengers. The crew reported over the Riohacha intersection at 2351LT at an altitude of 15,000 feet and estimated his arrival at Maracaibo-Grano de Oro Airport at 0030LT. At 0015LT the crew reported he was 35 miles out at an altitude of 10,000 feet. The last contact with the aircraft was at 0022LT. It crashed on Alto del Cedro Mountain in the Serranía de Perijá, killing all 23 persons aboard.

Braniff International Flight 971 was originally scheduled to depart New York, New York, for Miami, Florida, on March 23, 1958, at 2355 but this leg of the flight was not made owing to shortage of equipment and scheduling difficulties on that date. N 5904 was ferried from Dallas, Texas, to Miami, arriving at 1915 on March 24 for use as Flight 971. The aircraft was serviced and made reedy for the trip to Panama City, Panama, the first scheduled stop on the route to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The crew consisted of Captain Thomas D. George, First Officer John C. Winthrop, Jr., Second Officer Charles F. Fink, Steward Alberto Zapatero, and Stewardess Madelon Campion. The flight departed the Miami terminal at 2356, taxied to runway 27R where engine runup was made, after which a normal takeoff was accomplished. Shortly after takeoff, and in accordance with tower clearance, a climbing right turn was started. During the turn the No. 3 engine malfunctioned and a fire developed in that area. The airplane, still in a right turn, started to lose altitude rapidly. While traveling in a north-northeasterly direction it struck in an open marsh containing scattered trees and underbrush. Rescue operations were immediately initiated but were seriously hampered by heavy ground traffic of sightseers attracted to the area. Several of the passengers and crew members were airlifted by U. S. Coast Guard helicopters direct to hospital grounds in Miami and the others were removed to nearby ambulances and taken to hospitals.

Shortly after takeoff from the San Miguel Island, the left engine oversped. The crew elected to feather the propeller and to shot down the engine but was unable to do so. Losing speed and height, the crew attempt an emergency landing into the sea few km off shore. Both pilots were quickly rescued while the airplane sank 30 minutes later by 35 meters depth.

The aircraft was on a flight from Tocumen Airport, Panama, to Central Airport, Mexico City, with a stop at La Aurora Airport, Guatemala City. The flight reported "all well'' Over Managua, Nicaragua, at 2053 hours GMT (1453 hours local time). Somewhere between Managua and the eastern part of León Department an unknown trouble originated. Fire in flight resulted and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 13 km northwest of Puerto Somoza. All 25 persons aboard, 20 passengers and 5 crew members, including one supernumerary pilot, were killed. The aircraft disintegrated on impact.

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.

The aircraft was performing a diplomatic flight from Panama City to Buenos Aires, carrying a crew of three and five passengers, among them Colonel Gerald Evan Williams, attaché at the Embassy of the United States in Buenos Aires, and his wife. While cruising at an altitude of 4,000 meters, the aircraft hit the ground and disintegrated in a rocky and desert area located about 20 km west of La Poma. The wreckage was found few hours later and all eight occupants were killed.

Shortly after lift off, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. The copilot was killed while the captain was seriously injured. He died from his injuries few hours later. The crew was on its way from Burbank to Israel to deliver the aircraft to the Israel Air Force. Four other similar aircraft were performing the same trip at the same time. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was still under the Panamanian register by LAPSA - Lineas Aéreas de Panama.
Crew:
William Guy Gerson, pilot,
Ernest Glen King, copilot.

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.