Río Cuarto | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The twin engine aircraft departed Termas de Río Hondo Airport on a flight to Río Cuarto, carrying six passengers and one pilot who took part to a motorcycle GP in Termas de Río Hondo. About 45 minutes into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 6,500 feet, the left engine failed. The pilot contacted ATC and was cleared to divert to Deán Funes Airfield. On approach, he realized he could not make it and attempted an emergency landing on the National Road 60 at km 835. After touchdown, the aircraft veered off the street, lost its nose gear and came to rest in bushes. One passenger and the pilot were injured while five other occupants escaped unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

The following findings were identified:
- Failure of the left engine in cruising flight due to the failure of the fuel injection system connected to the cylinder n°3,
- Inadequate maintenance of the aircraft and engine and non application of the bulletins related to the maintenance of the injection system,
- Impossibility for the pilot to increase engine power due to the high temperature of the cylinder,
- The aircraft's performances were degraded,
- Late decision of the pilot to attempt an emergency landing at dusk,
- Insufficient information regarding the procedure to feather the propeller.

Final Report:

Crash of a Morane-Saulnier M.S.760A-1 Paris in Rio Cuarto: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1974

Type of aircraft:

Morane-Saulnier M.S.760 Paris

Operator:

Registration:

E-214

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rio Cuarto - Rio Cuarto

MSN:

A-2

YOM:

1961

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances near Rio Cuarto Airport while engaged in a local training mission. Both pilots were killed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando in Río Cuarto

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Aerovias Halcón

Registration:

LV-GFW

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rio Grande – Río Gallegos – Río Cuarto – Buenos Aires

MSN:

26961

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The cargo flight Rio Grande - Río Gallegos - Río Cuarto - Buenos Aires, which had to be completed in daylight, ran late due to delays in the loading of 99 sheep. It was dark outside by the time the aircraft left Río Gallegos. The destination had been changed to Villa Reynolds, which had electric lighting instead of kerosene putts at Río Cuarto. Although weather was worsening, the crew didn't change to an IFR flight plan. Various attempts to contact Villa Reynolds failed so the crew decided to divert to Río Cuarto by following a roadway, illuminated from time to time by lightning flashes and headlights of automobile traffic. The crew managed to find the airport and overflew it first. The airport employees meanwhile weren't able to keep the kerosene putts alight due to rain and wind. Four vehicles were dispatched to mark the runway threshold with their headlights. The crew got lost and asked the controller to determine their position relative to the airport by the noise of the engines. While attempting a second run over the field to locate the runway, the aircraft descended into the ground and slid on flat ground for 300 m, broke a wire fence and came to rest in a cornfield 5 km NE of the airport. All four occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Source: ASN

Probable cause:

Collision with terrain while trying to land in adverse and unstable conditions due to continuation of the flight at night in known and visible adverse meteorological conditions, aggravated by the lack of an alternate aerodrome or sufficient endurance to effect a diversion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove in Río Cuarto

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1959

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

T-68

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

04039

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances and damaged beyond repair. All occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL Skytrain in Río Cuarto

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1958

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

T-22

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

19479

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failed just after rotation, causing the aircraft to stall and to crash. The occupant's fate remains unknown.

Probable cause:

Engine failure at takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK near Pavín: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1956 at 0717 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

LV-ACD

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Buenos Aires – Río Cuarto

MSN:

13328

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Buenos Aires at 0515LT bound for Río Cuarto. Less than two hours into the flight, the crew contacted Río Cuarto and was informed about poor weather at destination. Despite conditions below minima, the pilot decided to start an IFR descent when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain and disintegrated on impact, killing all 18 occupants.

Probable cause:

The decision of the pilot to descend en route, without justifiable reason, below the minimum altitude prescribed for a night flight, and in weather conditions which made it his duty to follow IFR procedure a contributing cause probably being an error between control tower and aircraft in the transmission or interpretation of barometric pressure of QFE and QNH values.