Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 26 March 1949
Aircraft Type: Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando
Owner/operator: Freight Air, lsf United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: NC1664M
Location: off Campeche –
ÿ Mexico
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Component Affected: AircraftAircraft
Category: Accident
A severe overcast cloud cover near Guatemala City forced a flight to circle the city. Communication with ground control was lost, leading to a return to Belize. The crew experienced an aircraft malfunction resulting in a ditching off Campeche due to fuel depletion.A severe overcast cloud cover near Guatemala City forced a flight to circle the city. Communication with ground control was lost, leading to a return to Belize. The crew experienced an aircraft malfunction resulting in a ditching off Campeche due to fuel depletion.
Description
Solid overcast near Guatemala City forced the crew to circle the city. Attempts to contact the ground were unsuccessful, so it was decided to return to Belize. The crew became lost on their way to Belize and had to ditch the aircraft off Campeche after running out fuel.
Primary Cause
Severe weather conditions ? overcast cloud cover ? prevented communication and navigation, leading to a flight path deviation and subsequent fuel depletion.Severe weather conditions ? overcast cloud cover ? prevented communication and navigation, leading to a flight path deviation and subsequent fuel depletion.Share on:
