Tegucigalpa | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shortly after takeoff from Belize City-Philip S. W. Goldson Airport, while climbing, the left engine failed. The airplane banked left, stalled and crashed in a dense wooded area located near the airfield. A crew member was killed while the second pilot was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. It was determined that at the time of the accident, the total weight of the aircraft was 500 pound over the MTOW, which probably contributed to the engine failure.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left engine shortly after rotation and aircraft overloaded.

Crash of a Vickers 763D Viscount in Managua: 15 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1959 at 1335 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Viscount

Operator:

Registration:

YS-09C

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Managua – Tegucigalpa – San Salvador – Guatemala City – Mexico City – New Orleans

MSN:

YOM:

1955

Flight number:

TA779

Location:

Managua-Augusto Cesar Sandino-Las Mercedes

Managua City District

Country:

Nicaragua

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from runway 29 at Managua-Las Mercedes Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked left and crashed in flames in a field located 2,4 km from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and 15 people were killed, among them two crew members. Four occupants survived the crash.

Probable cause:

In accordance with the documentation obtained and data collected during the inquiry, the Investigating Board reached the following conclusions. The accident was caused by the following factors:
- Failure of number 1 engine at the end of runway 29 during takeoff and before reaching V2 speed,
- The non-retraction of the landing gear immediately after the aircraft reached V2 speed,
- Failure of engine number 2 a few seconds later, during a climb with insufficient speed to maintain control which resulted in a forced turn to the left that became tighter and tighter; the aircraft finally rolled into an inverted position and hit a tree with its left wing. Several possible reasons for the failure of engines no.1 and 2 and the non-retraction of the landing gear were considered, however the Board found no substantiating evidence or proof in the various tests carried out on the aircraft's parts to support any one of them.
The Board was therefore, unable positively to attribute the accident to any mechanical or electrical failure or to any piloting error.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-50-DK in Juticalpa: 12 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

XH-SAF

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Catacamas – Juticalpa – Tegucigalpa

MSN:

17139/34406

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed shortly after takeoff for unknown reason, killing all 12 occupants.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in San Luis la Herradura: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1957

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

300

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tegucigalpa – San Salvador

MSN:

12786

YOM:

1944

Location:

San Luis la Herradura

La Paz

Country:

Salvador

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances at San Luis la Herradura while performing a flight between both capital cities of Salvador and Honduras. Both pilots were killed and few passengers were injured.

Crash of a Lockheed 10E Electra in Yoro: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

XH-TAB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

La Ceiba – Tegucigalpa

MSN:

1133

Location:

Yoro

Country:

Honduras

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field near Yoro. All seven occupants were killed.

Crash of a Ford 5 in Tegucigalpa: 16 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1944 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Ford 5

Operator:

Registration:

XH-TAN

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tegucigalpa – San Pedro Sula

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after lift off, while in initial climb, the right wing failed. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion. All 16 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It appears the loss of the right wing was caused by a structural failure due to excessive vibrations accumulated during operations on difficult and rough terrain.

Crash of a Curtiss CT-32 Condor II near La Masica: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss T-32 Condor II

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

La Ceiba – Tegucigalpa

MSN:

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a flight from La Ceiba to Tegucigalpa, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near La Masica, 29 km southwest of La Ceiba. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the airplane nor the crew was found. The wreckage was spotted in March 1999 near the La Masica Pass.