Accident description
Last updated: 19 June 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 14 APR 1948 |
| Type: | Curtiss C-46 |
| Operator: | Heyl Ha'Avir (Israeli Air Force) |
| Registration: | RX-138 ? |
| C/n / msn: | |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Mexico City (Mexico) |
| Phase: | Takeoff (TOF) |
| Nature: | Delivery |
| Departure airport: | Mexico City International Airport (MEX/MMMX), Mexico |
| ? |
Because of the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli conflict the USA had enforced an arms embargo on a.o. Israel. Thus, the Panamanian airline LAPSA (Lineas Aéreas de Panama) was used as a cover for the acquisition of ten C-46 and three L-049 Constellations, by Israeli agents in the USA during late 1947/early 1948. Five C-46's left the U.S. for Panama, making an intermediate stop at Mexico City. On takeoff from Mexico City, one of the C-46's failed to lift off the runway and crashed.
Sources:
» Aeroflight, Real 101 Sqn website
Photos
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
