Crash of a Curtiss C-46 in Panama: 46 killed

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Andrés - Cartagena
Location:
Panama
All Panama
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
42
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
46
Circumstances:
On a flight from San Andrés Island to Cartagena, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and lost his route. The aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the San Blas Province, Panama. All 46 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated A-10B Catalina off Jaqué: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
45-57840
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Jaqué
Darién
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The seaplane left Albrook AFB in Panama City that day on a maritime patrol mission. Cruising along the Panamanian coast, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances few dozen km off Jaqué. All seven crew members were killed.

Crash of a Martin PBM-5 Mariner off Colón: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1949
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
84655
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
En route, while cruising over the Caribbean Sea, the crew declared an emergency and informed ground about a fire on board. While descending to Coco Solo AFB located in Colón, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames into the Caribbean Sea some 21 km off shore. All nine crew members were killed.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-100-VE Flying Fortress off Coiba Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1946 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-85626
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
8535
YOM:
1944
Location:
Coiba Island
Veraguas
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
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.
Probable cause:
It is believed that both crew misjudged the distance between both aircraft.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-100-VE Flying Fortress off Coiba Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 20, 1946 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-85624
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
8533
YOM:
1944
Location:
Coiba Island
Veraguas
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
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.
Probable cause:
It is believed that both crew misjudged the distance between both aircraft.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-15-DC Skymaster on Taboga Island: 23 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1946 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
43-17231
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
West Palm Beach - Albrook
MSN:
22181
YOM:
9
Location:
Taboga Island
Panamá
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Captain / Total flying hours:
1335
Captain / Total hours on type:
543.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1312
Copilot / Total hours on type:
393
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from West Palm Beach to Albrook AFB, Panama City. Following an uneventful flight, the pilot started the descent from the south when the ATC instructed the crew to maintain a minimum safe altitude of 1,000 feet on approach. The four engine aircraft hit the slope of a shrouded mountain located on Taboga Island, about 15 km south of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 23 occupants were killed, among them one civilian.
Source: http://www.canalzonestudygroup.com/Issue133.pdf
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the members of the Investigating Board that the pilot sighted Otoque Island and mistook it for Taboga and that he was in the vicinity of Otoque Island when he gave his estimated position of 15 miles southeast of the field. It is furtherbelieved that when the pilot called the tower and gave his estimated position as 5 miles south of field and at 1,000 feet on instruments that he thought he was past Taboga Island, approaching Albrook Field, and that by dropping down a little he would be contact again. Actually the estimated distance of 10 miles traveled would place him over Taboga from Otoque. The pilot, Captain Lawrence W. Parks, filed an instrument flight plan from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, to Albrook Field, without holding a currently effective Instrument Pilot Certificate. AAF Form 8 (white) or AAF Form 8A (green) in violation of AAF Regulation 60-16A. The weather on Taboga Island at the time of the crash was reported as a ceiling of approximately 750 feet above sea level, with a visibility of 15 miles. The top 250 feet of Taboga was covered with clouds and the visibility was 1/16 mile with light drizzle.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Colón: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
04468
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coco Solo - Coco Solo
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a training exercise near Colón. While descending to the Manzanillo Bay, off Coco Solo NAS, the crew turned on the approach lights when the seaplane hit the water surface and sunk. Five crew members were killed while four others were rescued.
Probable cause:
It seems the pilot misjudged the distance between the aircraft and water surface due to the glassy water surface that probably caused an optical illusion and wrong distance indication to the crew, favored by the approach lights.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina off Colón: 13 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
04474
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coco Solo - Coco Solo
Location:
Colón
Colón
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
On take off from Coco Solo NAS in Colón, the seaplane hit a tug and crashed into the Manzanillo Bay. All seven crew members on board the aircraft were killed as well as six crew members on board the tug.

Crash of a Douglas B-18 Bolo near Penonomé: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
36-299
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1687
YOM:
1936
Location:
Penonomé
Coclé
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances 15 km northeast of Penonomé. At least one crew was killed.
Crew:
George C. Denter.

Crash of a Douglas B-18 Bolo in Río Hato: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Douglas B-18 Bolo
Operator:
Registration:
37-10
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
1871
YOM:
1937
Location:
Río Hato
Coclé
Country:
Panama
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered an engine failure upon takeoff from Río Hato Airfield and crashed. At least one crew member was killed.
Crew:
Merrill F. Patrick.
Probable cause:
Engine failure upon takeoff.
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