Panamá | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The flight was a non-scheduled international cargo flight carrying wild animals from Iquitos, Peru, to Miami, U.S.A., with intermediate stops at Cali, Colombia, and Panama City, Panama. It departed Iquitos at 1325 hours GMT and reached Cali, Colombia at 1725 hours. There it was refuelled and repairs were carried out on Nos. 2 and 3 engines. It then took off for Panama City at 2120 hours, arriving there for refuelling at 2320 hours. At 2333 hours local time, the aircraft took off normally from runway 03 for Miami. One minute later, the tower controller looked towards the aircraft before authorizing a change of frequency and saw large flames at a heading of approximately 040° but was unable to say if the aircraft was still airborne or had just crashed. He immediately gave the alarm and enquired whether the air traffic cont;roller still had radar contact with the air- craft, On receiving a negative reply, he notified the airport authority that the aircraft had crashed. It was subsequently found that the aircraft had struck a mahogany tree at a height of about 70 ft above the ground and then several others before corning to rest on uneven ground. The accident occurred 2.5 miles north-east from the end of runway 03 at Tocumen Airport. The airplane was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The Commission of Inquiry decided that this accident was probably caused by faulty maintenance. Some malfunction of No. 2 engine apparently occurred during the first phase of take-off and caused an intense in-flight fire. The destruction by the fire of some of the control surfaces resulted in a loss of control and the aircraft struck several trees and crashed.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland L-20 Beaver off Howard AFB: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1960

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Howard - Howard

Location:

Howard AFB (Panama City)

Panamá

Country:

Panama

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Howard AFB in Panama City, the pilot encountered technical problems and elected to return for a safe landing. While making a 180 turn, he lost control of the airplane that crashed into the Panama Canal off the district of Balbo. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando off San Miguel

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1956

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

N1662M

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

San Miguel – Panama City

MSN:

22545

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from the San Miguel Island, the left engine oversped. The crew elected to feather the propeller and to shot down the engine but was unable to do so. Losing speed and height, the crew attempt an emergency landing into the sea few km off shore. Both pilots were quickly rescued while the airplane sank 30 minutes later by 35 meters depth.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando in San Miguel

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1956

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

CC-CAH-331

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

33544

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

In unknown circumstances, the crew encountered technical problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a beach located near the city of San Miguel. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 in Panama City

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

HC-SJA

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Miami – Panama City

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On landing, an undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway to the left and came to rest in flames into a ravine. While both pilots were rescued, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Undercarriage collapsed on landing.

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:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

West Palm Beach - Albrook

MSN:

22181

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

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 Douglas B-18 Bolo near San Carlos

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Douglas B-18 Bolo

Operator:

Registration:

36-319

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1707

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft entered a dive and crashed in a pasture located about five km west of San Carlos. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket in Panama City

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket

Operator:

Transportes Aéreos Gelabert

Registration:

RX-15

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on take off. Occupant fate unknown.

Crash of a Martin B-10B in Panama City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-10 (Model 139 & 166)

Operator:

Registration:

34-31

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

562

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. The aircraft crashed in Punta Paitilla, south of the city. Two crew members were seriously injured and the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Travel Air 6000A on Mt Trinidad: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1935

Type of aircraft:

Travel Air 6000

Operator:

Aerovias Nacionales

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Panama City – David

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Panama City to David, while cruising in marginal weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Trinidad located some 16 km north of Bejuco. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight occupants were killed, among them Robert Marstrand, pilot, and Juan Pino, Mayor of the city of David.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

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