What happened
During the takeoff roll of CP-541, an aircraft undergoing repairs to its number two engine propeller governor, several mechanical issues led to a deviation from the runway centerline. After traveling 190 meters, the Curtiss C-46 began veering left before drifting toward the right edge of the runway. The aircraft's right main landing gear exited the paved surface and entered a drainage area.
As the takeoff roll progressed to the 496-meter mark, the right wingtip collided with an adobe wall, causing the tip to separate from the wing. Despite this structural damage, the aircraft continued its acceleration, becoming airborne at 580 meters. During the climb, the propeller of the number two engine struck a tree approximately 707 meters from the start of the runway.
Following the impact with the tree, the aircraft entered a steep right bank, reaching an angle between 65 and 70 degrees. The right wing subsequently collided with trees measuring 15 meters in height, which forced the plane into a nose-down impact with the ground. The accident resulted in six fatalities and the total destruction of the airframe.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary factor in the accident was the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff after the initial runway excursion and the loss of the right wingtip.