Incident Overview

Date: Friday 16 January 1959
Aircraft Type: Curtiss C-46A-50-CU Commando
Owner/operator: Austral Lineas A‚reas
Registration Number: LV-GED
Location: 1,2 km off Mar del Plata, BA – ÿ Argentina
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 51 / Occupants: 52
Component Affected: Aircraft Flight Control System (instrument approach procedure)Aircraft Flight Control System (instrument approach procedure)
Category: Accident
A flight from Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata was delayed due to bad weather. The aircraft successfully cleared for a runway 12 approach and landed near Mar del Plata. However, the aircraft overshot the runway, descended into the sea, and experienced a lost altitude. The incident was caused by a missed approach procedure, pilot disorientation, poor radio conditions, and inadequate dispatching.A flight from Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata was delayed due to bad weather. The aircraft successfully cleared for a runway 12 approach and landed near Mar del Plata. However, the aircraft overshot the runway, descended into the sea, and experienced a lost altitude. The incident was caused by a missed approach procedure, pilot disorientation, poor radio conditions, and inadequate dispatching.

Description

Departure for Mar del Plata was delayed by 35 minutes due to bad weather there. The plane finally took off from Buenos Aires at 19:50 for the IFR flight to Mar del Plata. Arriving near Mar del Plata, the flight was cleared for a runway 12 approach and landing. The aircraft arrived over the runway threshold at 85 m and attempted to land. The C-46 overshot without even touching the runway, and a missed approach procedure was carried out. At 1200 m offshore the aircraft descended gradually into the sea. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The pilot failed during a missed approach procedure to observe the instrument flight procedure and attempted to continue visual flight by night in unfavourable weather conditions. The aircraft then lost altitude and descended into the sea. Contributing factors were: 1) As the pilot was not familiar with the airport in this type of operation, he miscalculated during the instrument approach procedure; 2) The pilot’s temporarily confused mental state, when he found himself in this critical situation, affectected his capabilty and skill; 3) The radio beacon was out of service and the lighting was poor because of the weather conditions at the time of the approach; 4) Unsatifactory dispatching of the aircraft by the operator.”

Primary Cause

Pilot-induced missed approach procedure and subsequent loss of altitude due to disorientation and ineffective communication.Pilot-induced missed approach procedure and subsequent loss of altitude due to disorientation and ineffective communication.

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