What happened
A Curtiss C-46 was conducting a ferry mission from Fairbanks to Bogotá, with scheduled stops in Miami and Kingston. The aircraft was transporting spare engines and various components. On November 25, the plane reached Kingston at 17:01 GMT. During the refueling process, crew members noticed fuel leaking from the right front tank, which led to a delay in the flight schedule.
The following morning at 08:47 GMT, the aircraft departed from runway 29. The takeoff required an extended ground roll before the plane was cleared to reach an altitude of 1500 feet. Shortly after departing, as the aircraft crossed the coastline, it began a left-hand turn. Approximately three minutes into the flight, while maintaining a shallow climb, the aircraft struck the southern side of the Port Henderson Hills at an altitude of roughly 700 feet. The impact involved scraping across uneven terrain before the plane plummeted down a sharp cliff and ignited.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary reason for the accident was that the aircraft began a turn during its initial climb at an altitude too low to clear the rising landscape. While investigators noted that a potential mechanical issue might have hindered the pilot's ability to maneuver away from the hills, no specific failure was confirmed. Additionally, it was determined that having only one pilot on board was insufficient for the safe operation of this particular aircraft type.