Zone
Pichincha

Crash of a Douglas DC-7B in Miami

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1966
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-7
Operator:
Registration:
HC-AIP
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Miami – Quito
MSN:
45194/791
YOM:
1957
Location:
Miami-Intl
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taxiing at Miami-Intl Airport, the four engine aircraft went out of control and came to rest into a ditch. All four crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident remains unknown.

Crash of a Fairchild F-27A near Quito: 37 killed

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild F27
Operator:
Registration:
HC-ADV
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Guayaquil – Quito
MSN:
1
YOM:
1958
Location:
Quito
Pichincha
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
32
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
37
Circumstances:
While approaching Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located 16 km from the airfield. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 37 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-50-DK near Quito: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1960 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
45-1109
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Humanitarian
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá – Quito
MSN:
17112/34379
YOM:
1945
Location:
Quito
Pichincha
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
The USAF C-47 was performing a humanitarian flight from Bogotá to Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport on behalf of the US Mission. While descending to the airport at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the crew encountered low visibility due to clouds when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Pichincha. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 18 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The crew continued the approach under VFR mode in IFR conditions.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4 on Cerro Baco: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1959 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-4
Operator:
Registration:
HK-135
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogotá – Quito – Lima
MSN:
10418
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
AV667
Location:
Cerro Baco
Ancash
Country:
Peru
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Quito Airport at 1548LT bound for Lima, Peru. At 1845LT, the crew reported his position and gave his ETA at Lima Airport at 2011LT. While cruising at an altitude of 9,200 feet, the airplane struck the slope of Cerro Baco located about 12 km northwest of Huaricanga. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 14 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The aircraft was not following the assigned route at the time of the accident, maybe due to a navigation error or a malfunction of one or more instruments.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL on Mt Illiniza: 32 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1958 at 0900 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
HC-ACL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Guayaquil – Quito
MSN:
19779
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
AR222
Location:
Mt Illiniza (24 Mayo)
Cotopaxi
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
29
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
32
Captain / Total flying hours:
7402
Circumstances:
Flight 222 left Guayaquil at 0806 hours on a scheduled non-stop flight to Quito. The aircraft carried 32 persons, including 3 crew members and an infant. It was cleared to climb IFR on the Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track on a heading of 358°, then to continue in visual contact to Quito, after cancellation of the IFR flight. At 0819 the pilot contacted ATC and gave his estimated arrival over Manta radio beacon at 0841. One minute later the pilot reported at 4,000 feet, maintaining this altitude. At 0830 clearance was requested for a further IFR climb and the aircraft was told to wait. At 0836 clearance to climb was again requested and at 0840 clearance was given to climb IFR to 5,000 feet on the Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track. The pilot reported at 0841 as being over Manta beacon at 5,000 feet and estimated arrival at Quito at 0916. Clearance was granted for a climb to above the clouds on the same track. This was the last contact with the aircraft which, presumably, continued to fly in cloud without breaking through on top until it crashed at an altitude of 2,300 metres ( 7,500 feet) in the western mountains of the Chugchilán Range, killing all occupants.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of the accident is that the pilot did not follow the 358° Guayaquii-Esmeraldas track, authorized for instrument flight, until clear of cloud, but probably assumed a heading of 250° as soon as he left Guayaquil, in order to fly the most direct route between Guayaquil and Quito. In so doing while on instruments, he deviated from the Guayaquil-Esmeraldas track at too low an altitude to clear the Chugchilán Range before him with an adequate safety margin.
Final Report:

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Quito: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
HC-SND
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Quito – Esmeraldas
MSN:
5109
YOM:
1935
Location:
Quito
Pichincha
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport, the crew reported engine trouble and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft stalled and crashed few km from the airfield and came to rest. Three passengers were killed while 11 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of one or more engine after takeoff.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson V in Tulcán

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
HC-SJO
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Quito – Tulcán
MSN:
MDF-117
Location:
Tulcán-Teniente Coronel Luis A. Mantilla
Carchi
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Tulcán Airport. Both occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Simiátug: 15 killed

Date & Time: May 2, 1950
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
HK-120
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bogota – Quito – Guayaquil
MSN:
4314
YOM:
1941
Location:
Simiátug
Bolívar
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
While cruising southwest of Ambato, the twin engine aircraft crashed in a mountainous area located near Simiátug, about 21 km northwest of the Chimborazo volcano. The wreckage was found two days later and all 15 occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-1-DO Skymaster in Castilla: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1949 at 1830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
LV-ABI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Humanitarian
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Quito – Morón
MSN:
7445
YOM:
1943
Location:
Castilla
Buenos Aires province
Country:
Argentina
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft was returning to its base in Morón following a humanitarian mission in Ecuador after an earthquake. About twenty minutes before its ETA in Buenos Aires, while descending to an altitude of 1,500 meters, the captain was in the cabin with passengers and the copilot was pilot in command when a fire erupted in the cabin. As smoke spread quickly, the captain opened a door and used a fire extinguisher without success. As the cabin was on fire, the copilot completed a belly landing in a prairie located in Castilla. The aircraft slid for several yards and came to rest in flames. Twenty people were injured while five others, among them three crew members, were killed. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
It was determined that a leak occurred on the oxygen circuit during the descent. The captain immediately instructed the occupants to stop smoking but apparently, a fire erupted after oxygen contacted sparks in an ashtray.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando in Quito

Date & Time: May 13, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Transandina Ecuador
Registration:
HC-SIB
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
33480
YOM:
1945
Location:
Quito
Pichincha
Country:
Ecuador
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Right after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All three crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.
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