Date & Time:
Jun 24, 1935 at 1458 LT
Type of aircraft:
Ford 5
Operator:
Servicio Aéreo Colombiano - SACO
Registration:
F-31
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Medellín – Bogotá
MSN:
5-AT-006
YOM:
1928
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
8
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
During the take off roll at Medellín-Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport, the thee engine airplane started to swerve on runway. It went out of control, veered off runway to the left and collided with a Ford 5 operated by SCADTA. Registered C-31, it was taxiing along the runway for departure. Both aircraft exploded and were destroyed by fire. All seven occupants on board the Scadta aircraft were killed. Among the 13 people on board the SACO aircraft, 10 people were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
Ernesto Samper Mendoza, pilot and founder of SACO, and one copilot.
Passenger:
Henry Schwartz,
Guillermo Barbieri,
Caledonio Palacios,
Alfredo Le Pera, singer,
Carlos Gardel, 'The King of Tango',
Grant Y. Flynn,
José Aguilar,
Domingo Riverol,
Alfonso Azaff +1,
José Plaja.
Crew:
Ernesto Samper Mendoza, pilot and founder of SACO, and one copilot.
Passenger:
Henry Schwartz,
Guillermo Barbieri,
Caledonio Palacios,
Alfredo Le Pera, singer,
Carlos Gardel, 'The King of Tango',
Grant Y. Flynn,
José Aguilar,
Domingo Riverol,
Alfonso Azaff +1,
José Plaja.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the investigation board that the accident was caused by a loss of control of the SACO Ford during the take off run due to strong lateral winds in combination with irregularities in the runway surface that led the left main gear to leave the ground before rotation, which contributed to let the aircraft to veer off runway. The captain tried to maintain directional control but this was unsuccessful.
