Narrative:The C-54 cargo plane was operating on a flight from Iquitos, Peru to Miami with intermediate stops at Cali and Panama City. The cargo of wild animals was loaded and the plane departed Iquitos at 13:25 GMT, landing at Cali four hours later. The plane was refueled and repairs were carried out on the no. 2 and 3 engines before it departed at 21:20 GMT. It arrived at Panama City at 23:20 and after refuelling the flight took off from runway 03 at 23:33 local time. During takeoff a malfunction occurred in the no. 2 engine, resulting in a fire in the accessory section of the engine. The fire intensified because oil or fuel leaked from severed lines. The fire and a fuel tank explosion destroyed some of the control surfaces, causing the plane to descend uncontrollably. The plane struck a mahogany tree at a height of about 70 feet and then several others before coming to rest 2,5 miles NE of runway 03.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Commission of Inquiry decided that this accident was probably caused by faulty maintenance."
Sources:
» ICAO Circular 88-AN/74 (168-170)
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Panama City-Tocumen International Airport to Miami International Airport, FL as the crow flies is 1852 km (1158 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.