Crash of a Convair CV-440-12 Metropolitan in Tomonoco: 67 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 27, 1975 at 0645 LT
Operator:
Registration:
TAM-44
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tomonoco - La Paz
MSN:
328
YOM:
1956
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
63
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
67
Circumstances:
After a night takeoff from Tomonoco Airport, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain sufficient height and struck the slope of Mt Colorado located few km from the airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 67 occupants were killed, among them several Army officers flying back to La Paz with family members.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the aircraft was overloaded at the time of the accident. The departure procedure for Tomonoco Airport is requesting a high climb gradient due to close mountains. The present CV-440 has been modified by the army to carry more passengers than the original certification. As it was heavily loaded, the airplane was unable to adopt a sufficient positive rate of climb after takeoff until it struck the mountain.
