No fatalities

1994-01-30: Curtiss C-46 Commando (HK-1856) — Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas — Puerto Inírida, Colombia

Puerto Inírida, ColombiaLanding (descent or approach)

On January 30, 1994, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration HK-1856) operated by Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas was involved in an aviation accident near Puerto Inírida, Colombia during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The instability of the runway surface due to heavy rainfall caused the aircraft to sink and the undercarriage to fail during landing. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 4 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781209224Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft experienced a landing gear failure upon arrival at Puerto Inírida Airport, resulting in significant damage to the airframe.

What happened

During an approach and touchdown at Puerto Inírida Airport, the landing gear of the aircraft failed. As the plane made contact with the runway, the undercarriage collapsed, causing the fuselage to slide along the ground on its belly. The impact resulted in the aircraft being declared a total loss due to extensive structural damage.

Despite the severity of the gear failure and the subsequent ground excursion, there were no injuries reported among the occupants. All three crew members on board managed to evacuate the wreckage safely without sustaining any harm.

Findings

Investigations into the incident determined that recent heavy rainfall had significantly altered the condition of the airfield. The moisture caused the runway surface to become unstable and soft. Consequently, the weight of the aircraft caused it to sink into the saturated ground immediately upon touchdown, triggering the collapse of the landing gear.

Probable cause

The instability of the runway surface due to heavy rainfall caused the aircraft to sink and the undercarriage to fail during landing.