Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 6 January 1959
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-80-DL (DC-3)
Owner/operator: SAHSA – Servicio Areo de Honduras SA
Registration Number: XH-SAA
Location: Pena Blanca Mt. –
ÿ Guatemala
Phase of Flight: Unknown
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: DC-3 aircraftDC-3 aircraft
Category: Accident
A DC-3 aircraft experienced a failure during a return flight from San Pedro Sula-Copan Ruinas to Nueva Ocotepeque. The aircraft landed at Copan Ruinas at 10:33 after a 1-hour and 38-minute flight, necessitating fuel transfer to Nueva Ocotepeque. Despite arriving at its destination, the aircraft crashed into the Pena Blanca Mountain.A DC-3 aircraft experienced a failure during a return flight from San Pedro Sula-Copan Ruinas to Nueva Ocotepeque. The aircraft landed at Copan Ruinas at 10:33 after a 1-hour and 38-minute flight, necessitating fuel transfer to Nueva Ocotepeque. Despite arriving at its destination, the aircraft crashed into the Pena Blanca Mountain.
Description
The DC-3 was being operated on a San Pedro Sula-Copan Ruinas VFR return flight. The aircraft landed at Copan Ruinas at 10:33 following a 1 hour and 38 minute flight. To take on extra fuel, the aircraft had to be flown to Nueva Ocotepeque first; the DC-3 took off at 11:13 for this 18-minute flight. The aircraft, however, failed to arrive at its destination. It appeared that the plane had crashed into the Pena Blanca Mountain. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident was caused by the pilot’s attempt to fly over mountainous terrain by visual reference to the ground under weather conditions severely restricting visibility ahead of the aircraft, which forced him to descend to a dangerous altitude.”
Primary Cause
Pilot attempted to fly over mountainous terrain with limited visibility due to severe weather, resulting in a descent to a dangerous altitude.Pilot attempted to fly over mountainous terrain with limited visibility due to severe weather, resulting in a descent to a dangerous altitude.Share on:
