Date & Time:
Jan 21, 1959 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
YV-C-LBI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Mérida – Lagunillas – Maracaibo
MSN:
33411
YOM:
1945
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Mérida-Alberto Carnevalli Airport at 1505LT on a charter flight to Maracaibo with an intermediate stop at Lagunillas. After takeoff, while approaching El Callejon Pass at an altitude of 7,000 feet, the crew realized it would not be possible to clear the pass and decided to modify his route. Vertical to Ejido, the captain made a 180 turn, modified his heading to 030° and continued to the northeast. Few minutes later, while cruising in clouds at an altitude of 13,500 feet, the airplane struck the slope of La Culata Peak and was destroyed upon impact. The wreckage was found few hours later and all four occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was due to flying the aircraft at insufficient altitude over an area apparently unfamiliar to the pilot.
