ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-4 CU-T188 Key West, FL
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Wednesday 25 April 1951
Time:11:49
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC4 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas DC-4
Operator:Cubana de Aviación
Registration: CU-T188
MSN: 10368
First flight: 1944
Total airframe hrs:13218
Crew:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 34 / Occupants: 34
Total:Fatalities: 39 / Occupants: 39
Collision casualties:Fatalities: 4
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:ca 1 km off Key West, FL (   United States of America)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA), United States of America
Destination airport:Havana-Rancho Boyeros Airport (HAV/MUHA), Cuba
Flightnumber:CU493
Narrative:
The Cubana aircraft, on a flight from Miami to Havana, was in, or had just performed, a gentle left bank leveling out on the Havana heading of 197 degrees when it collided with a US Navy Beech SNB-1 Kansan (39939) at an altitude of 4000 feet. The Navy plane was on an instrument training flight out of Key West-NAS. The SNB crashed into the water just west of the Naval Station, but the DC-4 continued for some distance before commencing a left bank which became progressively steeper until the aircraft assumed a nose-down attitude, crashing into the ocean 1,7 miles from the point of the collision.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the crews of both aircraft to maintain sufficient vigilance under VFR conditions to prevent a collision."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: CAB
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: final report
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Mid air collision
Loss of control

Sources:
» CAB File No. F-104-51
» ICAO Aircraft Accident Digest No.2, Circular 24-AN/21 (93-94)


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Miami International Airport, FL to Havana-Rancho Boyeros Airport as the crow flies is 376 km (235 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

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.
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Douglas DC-4

  • 1242 built
  • 161st loss
  • 89th fatal accident
  • 15th worst accident (at the time)
  • 31st worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 United States of America
  • 8th worst accident (at the time)
  • 85th worst accident (currently)
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