Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 19 July 1961
Aircraft Type: Douglas DC-6
Owner/operator: Aerolineas Argentinas
Registration Number: LV-ADW
Location: 12 km W of Pardo, BA –
ÿ Argentina
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 67 / Occupants: 67
Component Affected: Right wingRight wing
Category: Accident
A DC-6 aircraft crashed after encountering severe turbulence due to Cumulonimbus clouds while climbing to 4800 meters. The aircraft disintegrated due to a rupture of the right wing under excessive loads, exacerbated by inadequate forecasting.A DC-6 aircraft crashed after encountering severe turbulence due to Cumulonimbus clouds while climbing to 4800 meters. The aircraft disintegrated due to a rupture of the right wing under excessive loads, exacerbated by inadequate forecasting.
Description
The DC-6 departed Buenos Aires-Ezeiza at 07:31 for an IFR flight to Comodoro Rivadavia. When climbing to the cruising altitude of 4800 metres, the aircraft encountered some heavy turbulence after flying through Cumulonimbus clouds. The airplane broke up and crashed. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The aircraft disintegrated in flight due to rupture of the right wing following the application of loads in excess of the design loads, in a zone of extremely violent turbulence. A contributing factor was insufficient evaluation of the forecast, by both the aircraft captain and by the airline dispatcher, which resulted in the choice of an inappropriate flight altitude.”
Primary Cause
Rupture of the right wing due to excessive loads during turbulence.Rupture of the right wing due to excessive loads during turbulence.Share on:
