Curtiss C-46 CP-541 Takeoff Accident

Incident Overview and Takeoff Sequence On the day of the accident, a Curtiss C-46 with registration CP-541 was boarded at 14:35. The initial takeoff was postponed to address and repair a problem with the propeller governor on the number 2 engine. Following the repair, a preflight engine test was conducted and found to be satisfactory. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft initially veered left and then gradually drifted to the right, running along the edge of the runway. The right wingtip extended beyond the boundary of the 26.5-meter-wide runway, and the right main landing gear left the paved surface and entered a drainage area. ## Impact and Crash At the 496-meter point of the takeoff run, the right wingtip struck an adobe wall and was detached from the wing. The aircraft continued its takeoff roll and became airborne at the 580-meter point. After liftoff, the number 2 engine propeller cut a tree with a 6-inch diameter located at the 707-meter point. The aircraft remained airborne but developed an increasing right bank, reaching between 65 and 70 degrees. The right wing then struck trees approximately 15 meters in height, causing the aircraft to crash nose-down into the ground. The aircraft was destroyed, and all six occupants were killed.