Accident Curtiss C-46A-60-CS Commando HK-851P,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 323475

This accident is missing citations or reference sources. Please help add citations to guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies.

Date:	Sunday 9 July 2000
Time:	08:25
Type:	Curtiss C-46A-60-CS Commando
Owner/operator:	R.M. Marmolejo
Registration:	HK-851P
MSN:	2926/383
Year of manufacture:	1945
Total airframe hrs:	38837 hours
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-2800-51
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	3 km E of Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport (VVC) - Colombia
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:	Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport (VVC/SKVV)
Destination airport:	Mitú Airport (MVP/SKMU)
Investigating agency:	Aerocivil
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The C-46 HK-851P was owned and operated by a private individual. It was certified to carry a maximum of 13 occupants. It was prepared for a non-scheduled cargo/passenger flight from Villavicencio (VVC) to Mitú (MVP). The flight plan indicated that the flight was to follow Airway W-17 at 9000 feet to Mitú and that there were six persons on board. In fact the airplane carried the two pilots and seventeen passengers. The C-46 took off at 08:23. Shortly after takeoff the right-hand (no. 2) engine caught fire. Because the fire extinguishing bottles of the engines were empty, the fire could not be extinguished. The pilot attempted to return to the airport by executing a right hand turn. The crew consequently lost control and the airplane crashed.
The investigation into the cause of the accident revealed that the airplane was not in an airworthy condition. Flight experience of both pilots was not logged and the captain and owner of the plane did not have a valid medical certificate.

CAUSA PROBABLE: "Decisión y operación inapropiadas del piloto al efectuar regreso con viraje a la derecha por incendio incontrolado en el motor No 2 induciendo un a perdida de sustentación sobre el ala del mismo lado que hizo perder e control sobre la aeronave al piloto a los controles."

PROBABLE CAUSE: The decision and inappropriate operation of the pilot to return with a right hand turn with an uncontrolled fire in the No.2 engine leading to a loss of lift on the wing on that side and a loss of control over the aircraft. (translation from Spanish; the Spanish version is the original)

Accident investigation: