Incident Overview

Date: Wednesday 3 November 1965
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-54G (DC-4)
Owner/operator: Fuerza A‚rea Argentina – FAA
Registration Number: TC-48
Location: off Puerto Limon – ÿ Costa Rica
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Aircraft missing, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 68 / Occupants: 68
Component Affected: Engine 3Engine 3
Category: Accident
On October 31, 1965, a Douglas C-54 transport plane carrying 54 cadets and military personnel departed Argentina to the United States and Canada. The aircraft then flew to Mendoza, Antofagasta, Lima, and Guayaquil, before arriving at Howard Air Force Base in Panama. During en route, an engine fire occurred in engine number 3, causing the aircraft to lose altitude and request a diversion to San Jos‚ or Puerto Limon. A search operation was initiated, resulting in the discovery of clothing, life vests, and debris belonging to the missing aircraft.On October 31, 1965, a Douglas C-54 transport plane carrying 54 cadets and military personnel departed Argentina to the United States and Canada. The aircraft then flew to Mendoza, Antofagasta, Lima, and Guayaquil, before arriving at Howard Air Force Base in Panama. During en route, an engine fire occurred in engine number 3, causing the aircraft to lose altitude and request a diversion to San Jos‚ or Puerto Limon. A search operation was initiated, resulting in the discovery of clothing, life vests, and debris belonging to the missing aircraft.

Description

On October 31, 1965, a Douglas C-54 transport plane of the Argentine Air Force, TC-48, departed Argentina on a flight to the United States and Canada. On board were 54 cadets of the military aviation school and other military personnel. The aircraft stopped at Mendoza, Antofagasta, Lima and Guayaquil. On the night of November 2nd the flight arrived at Howard Air Force Base in Panama. The following day the aircraft left at 06:49 hours local time for a flight to San Salvador in El Salvador. The en route altitude was 6500 feet. The flight progressed over the Caribbean Sea until about an hour into the flight when the crew radioed that they had an engine fire in engine no.3. The no.4 engine had shut down for undetermined reasons and the crew requested an immediate landing. The air traffic controller at Tegucigalpa radioed that they could divert to San Jos‚ or Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The aircraft could not maintain altitude on two engines and failed to land. A search operation was launched during which items of clothing, life vests and other debris were found. These belonged to the missing aircraft.

Source of Information

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FLgcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IXoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=980%2C9575210, http://www.mediafire.com/file/5n1233e7ab9wqhh/LibroTC48_110918.zip/filehttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FLgcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IXoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=980%2C9575210, http://www.mediafire.com/file/5n1233e7ab9wqhh/LibroTC48_110918.zip/file

Primary Cause

Engine failure in engine number 3Engine failure in engine number 3

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