Narrative:
The Curtiss C-46 departed Merida at 15:05 for a flight to Lagunillas and Maracaibo. En route at 7000 feet it appeared that the El Callejon pass was cloud-covered. The aircraft made a 180deg turn over Ejido, started climbing and continued on a 30deg heading. Still in clouds, the aircraft crashed into the Páramo La Culata at an altitude of 13500 feet.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to flying the aircraft at insufficient altitude over an area apparently unfamiliar to the pilot."
| Status: | |
| Date: | Wednesday 21 January 1959 |
| Type: |  Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando |
| Operator: | Linea Expresa Bolivar - LEBCA |
| Registration: | YV-C-LBI |
| MSN: | 33411 |
| First flight: | 1945 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | 32 km (20 mls) NE of Mérida ( Venezuela)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Mérida-A Carnevalli Airport (MRD/SVMD), Venezuela |
| Lagunillas Airport (LGY), Venezuela |
The Curtiss C-46 departed Merida at 15:05 for a flight to Lagunillas and Maracaibo. En route at 7000 feet it appeared that the El Callejon pass was cloud-covered. The aircraft made a 180deg turn over Ejido, started climbing and continued on a 30deg heading. Still in clouds, the aircraft crashed into the Páramo La Culata at an altitude of 13500 feet.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to flying the aircraft at insufficient altitude over an area apparently unfamiliar to the pilot."
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
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 Mérida-A Carnevalli Airport to Lagunillas Airport as the crow flies is 27 km (17 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from Mérida-A Carnevalli Airport to Lagunillas Airport as the crow flies is 27 km (17 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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