On December 5, 1972, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration YV-C-TGE) operated by Latin Carga - Latinamericana Aérea de Carga was involved in an aviation accident near Barranquilla-Ernesto Cortissoz (ex Soledad), Colombia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The crew's encounter with unexpected circumstances during the approach led to an emergency landing attempt that resulted in a collision with trees. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A cargo flight arriving from Kingston, Jamaica, resulted in an emergency landing after striking trees approximately 10 km north of the airport.
What happened
A cargo operation traveling from Kingston, Jamaica, was performing its approach to Barranquadamente-Ernesto Cotisssoz Airport when the flight crew encountered unforeseen circumstances. During this phase of the flight, the decision was made to execute an emergency landing. In the process of attempting to land, the aircraft collided with trees located roughly 10 km north of the destination airport.
The impact resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair. Despite the severity of the crash, all three crew members managed to exit the wreckage without sustaining any injuries.
Findings
The investigation into the incident indicates that the primary factor leading to the crash was an unexpected situation encountered during the approach phase, which necessitated the emergency maneuver.
Probable cause
The crew's encounter with unexpected circumstances during the approach led to an emergency landing attempt that resulted in a collision with trees.