Narrative:
On October 31, 1965, a Douglas C-54 transport plane of the Argentine Air Force, TC-48, departed Argentina on a flight to the United States and Canada. On board were 54 cadets of the military aviation school and other military personnel. The aircraft stopped at Mendoza, Antofagasta, Lima and Guayaquil. On the night of November 2nd the flight arrived at Howard Air Force Base in Panama.
The following day the aircraft left at 06:49 hours local time for a flight to San Salvador in El Salvador. The en route altitude was 6500 feet. The flight progressed over the Caribbean Sea until about an hour into the flight when the crew radioed that they had an engine fire in engine no.3. The no.4 engine had shut down for undetermined reasons and the crew requested an immediate landing.
The air traffic controller at Tegucigalpa radioed that they could divert to San José or Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
The aircraft could not maintain altitude on two engines and failed to land.
A search operation was launched during which items of clothing, life vests and other debris were found. These belonged to the missing aircraft.
» El accidente del TC-48 / Víctor Ferrazzano, 2019 (ZIP file, 17 MB)
accident date: 03-11-1965
type: Douglas C-54G (DC-4)
registration: N90913
| Status: | |
| Date: | Wednesday 3 November 1965 |
| Time: | 07:52 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-54G (DC-4) |
| Operator: | Fuerza Aérea Argentina - FAA |
| Registration: | TC-48 |
| MSN: | 35983 |
| First flight: | 1945 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 59 / Occupants: 59 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 68 / Occupants: 68 |
| Aircraft damage: | Missing |
| Aircraft fate: | Presumed damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | off Puerto Limon ( Costa Rica)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Balboa-Howard AFB (HOW/MPHO), Panama |
| San Salvador-Comalapa International Airport (SAL/MSLP), El Salvador |
On October 31, 1965, a Douglas C-54 transport plane of the Argentine Air Force, TC-48, departed Argentina on a flight to the United States and Canada. On board were 54 cadets of the military aviation school and other military personnel. The aircraft stopped at Mendoza, Antofagasta, Lima and Guayaquil. On the night of November 2nd the flight arrived at Howard Air Force Base in Panama.
The following day the aircraft left at 06:49 hours local time for a flight to San Salvador in El Salvador. The en route altitude was 6500 feet. The flight progressed over the Caribbean Sea until about an hour into the flight when the crew radioed that they had an engine fire in engine no.3. The no.4 engine had shut down for undetermined reasons and the crew requested an immediate landing.
The air traffic controller at Tegucigalpa radioed that they could divert to San José or Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
The aircraft could not maintain altitude on two engines and failed to land.
A search operation was launched during which items of clothing, life vests and other debris were found. These belonged to the missing aircraft.
Sources:
» La Nacion - Nov 4, 1965» El accidente del TC-48 / Víctor Ferrazzano, 2019 (ZIP file, 17 MB)
Photos
accident date: 03-11-1965
type: Douglas C-54G (DC-4)
registration: N90913
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 Balboa-Howard AFB to San Salvador-Comalapa International Airport as the crow flies is 1141 km (713 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Balboa-Howard AFB to San Salvador-Comalapa International Airport as the crow flies is 1141 km (713 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of 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.
languages: 
Costa Rica
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Douglas DC-4
- 1242 built
- 277th loss
- 153rd fatal accident
- 2nd worst accident (at the time)
- 6th worst accident (currently)
Costa Rica- The worst accident
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