Accident description
Last updated: 18 June 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 02 MAY 1974 |
| Time: | ca 19:30 |
| Type: | Douglas C-47 |
| Operator: | ATESA (Aerotaxis Ecuatorianos SA) |
| Registration: | HC-AUC |
| C/n / msn: | |
| First flight: | |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 22 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 25 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | near Banos (Ecuador) |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Pastaza Airport (PTZ/SEPA), Ecuador |
| Ambato-Chachoan Airport (ATF/SEAM), Ecuador |
The aircraft departed Pastaza at 19:13 and climbed to an altitude of FL115. The crew continued over the Banos canyon at FL115, the minimum safety altitude being FL125. The left wing of the Dakota struck the side of a mountain, shrouded by a low layer of stratus clouds, and separated. The aircraft crashed out of control and was found the following day at 11200 feet.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Failure to climb to the minimum safety altitude; failure to maintain a 275deg heading from Rio Negro to Banos; overconfidence of the pilot-in-command; possible distraction of the flight crew due to the presence of a tourist guide in the cockpit.
Sources:
Photos
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 Pastaza Airport to Ambato-Chachoan Airport as the crow flies is 65 km (41 miles).
Distance from Pastaza Airport to Ambato-Chachoan Airport as the crow flies is 65 km (41 miles).
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:
Ecuador
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Douglas DC-3
- 2629th loss
- ca 13.000 built
- 174th worst accident (at the time)
- 189th worst accident (currently)
Ecuador- 5th worst accident (at the time)
- 16th worst accident (currently)