Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 25 July 1972
Aircraft Type: Curtiss CW-20 (C-46)
Owner/operator: Transportes Areos Benianos – TABSA
Registration Number: CP-752
Location: San Pedro Richard Airport –
ÿ Bolivia
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Component Affected: Left engine propeller and left undercarriage.Left engine propeller and left undercarriage.
Category: Accident
An aircraft taking off from San Pedro de Richard to La Paz, Bolivia, experienced a catastrophic event due to a faulty constant speed unit causing excessive propeller speed. The pilot, unable to cut out the engines due to proximity to the runway, maintained the aircraft in flight, resulting in a significant impact with terrain. The impact tore off the left engine and undercarriage, leading to a skidding and subsequent stop.An aircraft taking off from San Pedro de Richard to La Paz, Bolivia, experienced a catastrophic event due to a faulty constant speed unit causing excessive propeller speed. The pilot, unable to cut out the engines due to proximity to the runway, maintained the aircraft in flight, resulting in a significant impact with terrain. The impact tore off the left engine and undercarriage, leading to a skidding and subsequent stop.
Description
The aircraft was taking off from San Pedro de Richard on a flight to La Paz, Bolivia. On reaching V2 speed the left propeller began to overspeed due to a faulty constant speed unit. Since the pilot in command could not cut out the engines because he was near the end of the runway, he decided to maintain the aircraft in flight attitude. The aircraft continued beyond the runway limits and ran into a dip in the terrain to the south of the runway. The violence of the impact against the left undercarriage and the fact that the left engine propeller struck the ground caused the left engine and undercarriage to be torn off. The aircraft skidded 80 metres further down before coming to a stop.
Primary Cause
Faulty constant speed unit causing excessive propeller speed.Faulty constant speed unit causing excessive propeller speed.Share on:
