Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 8 December 1956
Aircraft Type: Boeing-Canada PB2B-1 Canso A (PBY-5A)
Owner/operator: Agencia Interamericana de Aviaci¢n – AIDA
Registration Number: HK-133
Location: 25 km NW of Bogot  – ÿ Colombia
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 16
Component Affected: Starboard EngineStarboard Engine
Category: Accident
A Boeing 737-133 aircraft crashed against Quetame Hill at an elevation of 2790 meters after takeoff. The aircraft experienced a complete failure of the starboard engine due to a breakdown of the lubricating system, exacerbated by factors including pilot recklessness, excessive aircraft weight, adverse weather conditions, inadequate maintenance procedures, and regulatory oversight at Santa Cecilia airport.A Boeing 737-133 aircraft crashed against Quetame Hill at an elevation of 2790 meters after takeoff. The aircraft experienced a complete failure of the starboard engine due to a breakdown of the lubricating system, exacerbated by factors including pilot recklessness, excessive aircraft weight, adverse weather conditions, inadequate maintenance procedures, and regulatory oversight at Santa Cecilia airport.

Description

No. 2 engine failed after takeoff. The aircraft crashed against Quetame Hill at an elevation of 2790 m. PROBABLE CAUSE: “Complete failure of the starboard engine due to the breakdown of the lubricating system. Contributory causes included: (1) Recklessness of the pilot in taking off from a closed airport while aware of the poor weather conditions, prevailing throughout the Sabana – a circumstance which prevented returning to the airport of departure when complete breakdown of the starboard engine occurred (2) The 1,506 kilograms overload of the aircraft above the maximum gross operating weight for Bogot  according to the performance curves of the aircraft; (3) The adverse weather conditions prevailing from the moment of takeoff until the moment of this accident; (4) An error of judgment on the part of the Operations and Maintenance Sections of the Company in failing to provide for a test flight of the aircraft after the turbine section bad been changed and in finding aircraft HK-133 airworthy for the purpose of a scheduled flight with passengers under such conditions; (5) The lack of competent air traffic and weather authorities at Santa Cecilia airport in a position to check civil aviation regulations and to prohibit takeoff from a closed airport; (6) Faulty internal organization within AIDA which should have defined exactly the duties of the Maintenance, Superintendent, of the Maintenance Chief and of the Dispatcher; (7) The failure of the Company to have available, a spare engine which would have avoided carrying out such delicate repair work in a hasty manner.”

Primary Cause

Complete failure of the starboard engine due to the breakdown of the lubricating system.Complete failure of the starboard engine due to the breakdown of the lubricating system.

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