Narrative:
The Aerolineas Argentinas DC-4 took off from Buenos Aires-Ezeiza at 15:54 for a flight to San Carlos de Bariloche. The crew were cleared for an IFR flight outside airways with a minimum altitude of 1200 m to Neuquen and 2400 m from Neuquen to San Carlos de Bariloche. It was established that the aircraft flew at 100-150 m for a distance of 35-40 km, deviating 21 km from its intended route. It is assumed that the pilot tried to fly below an intense upper front. The DC-4 flew into the front at its most active part, climbed sharply. At about 2500 m the aircraft lost control and dove to the ground. It struck the ground at a 35deg descent angle, 25deg left bank and with a speed of over 400 km/h.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The aircraft disintegrated in flight due to breakage of parts of the left wing followed by the falling off of the tail section when the equipment was subjected to stresses above those envisaged by the manufacturer. This was brought about as a direct result of the pilot's decision to attempt to cross a cold surface front under turbulent conditions of extreme severity.
Contributing causes were: 1) The pilot's recklessness in descending on a track well below the minimum safety flight altitude established for this type of operation.; 2) The absence in the flight plan of a forecast showing the intensity of the meteorological phenomena encountered; 3) Inadequate operational dispatch of the aircraft."
Loss of control
» Informe Final de Accidente de Aviación N° 918 / Junta de Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación (JIAAC)
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Sunday 8 December 1957 |
| Time: | 16:45 |
| Type: |  Douglas DC-4 |
| Operator: | Aerolineas Argentinas |
| Registration: | LV-AHZ |
| MSN: | 27227 |
| First flight: | 1944 |
| Engines: | 4 Pratt & Whitney R-2000-13 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 55 / Occupants: 55 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 61 / Occupants: 61 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 25 km (15.6 mls) SE of Bolivar, BA ( Argentina)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Buenos Aires/Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport, BA (EZE/SAEZ), Argentina |
| San Carlos de Bariloche International Airport, RN (BRC/SAZS), Argentina | |
| Flightnumber: | AR670 |
The Aerolineas Argentinas DC-4 took off from Buenos Aires-Ezeiza at 15:54 for a flight to San Carlos de Bariloche. The crew were cleared for an IFR flight outside airways with a minimum altitude of 1200 m to Neuquen and 2400 m from Neuquen to San Carlos de Bariloche. It was established that the aircraft flew at 100-150 m for a distance of 35-40 km, deviating 21 km from its intended route. It is assumed that the pilot tried to fly below an intense upper front. The DC-4 flew into the front at its most active part, climbed sharply. At about 2500 m the aircraft lost control and dove to the ground. It struck the ground at a 35deg descent angle, 25deg left bank and with a speed of over 400 km/h.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The aircraft disintegrated in flight due to breakage of parts of the left wing followed by the falling off of the tail section when the equipment was subjected to stresses above those envisaged by the manufacturer. This was brought about as a direct result of the pilot's decision to attempt to cross a cold surface front under turbulent conditions of extreme severity.
Contributing causes were: 1) The pilot's recklessness in descending on a track well below the minimum safety flight altitude established for this type of operation.; 2) The absence in the flight plan of a forecast showing the intensity of the meteorological phenomena encountered; 3) Inadequate operational dispatch of the aircraft."
Classification:
Wing failureLoss of control
Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest No.9, Circular 56-AN/51 (245-252)» Informe Final de Accidente de Aviación N° 918 / Junta de Investigación de Accidentes de Aviación (JIAAC)
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 Buenos Aires/Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport, BA to San Carlos de Bariloche International Airport, RN as the crow flies is 1305 km (816 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
Distance from Buenos Aires/Ezeiza-Ministro Pistarini Airport, BA to San Carlos de Bariloche International Airport, RN as the crow flies is 1305 km (816 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: 
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Douglas DC-4
- 1242 built
- 208th loss
- 121st fatal accident
- 3rd worst accident (at the time)
- 8th worst accident (currently)
Argentina- The worst accident (at the time)
- 3rd worst accident (currently)
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