A Curtiss C-46R Commando cargo plane was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing near La Paz. The airplane departed from the El Salvador Airport carrying a cargo of 5000 kg of meat. En route at 17,000 feet the no. 1 engine failed with two loud bangs. Dense smoke entered the cabin. The crew proceeded to shut down the engine. Efforts to feather the propeller failed and the engine continued to burn. The crew expected not to be able to reach the La Paz airport, which was situated at an altitude of about 13,000 feet. The two passengers tried to jettison packages of meat through a partly opened cargo door as the plane kept descending over downsloping terrain. Finally a forced landing was carried out on rocky terrain near a river in a part of the La Paz city located at an elevation of about 10,700 feet. The engines separated.