No fatalities

1961-04-27: Curtiss C-46 Commando (F-BESN) — Air Cameroon — Bangui, Central African Republic

Bangui, Central African RepublicTakeoff (climb)

On April 27, 1961, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration F-BESN) operated by Air Cameroon was involved in an aviation accident near Bangui, Central African Republic during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The engine failed while the aircraft was in its initial climb phase after takeoff. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781245758Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft experienced an engine failure during its initial climb after departing Bangui Airport, resulting in a belly landing in a nearby field.

What happened

During the departure phase from Bangui Airport, an engine failure occurred while the aircraft was performing its initial climb. Following the loss of power, the pilot decided to execute an emergency landing procedure. The aircraft subsequently performed a belly landing in a prairie area, where it eventually came to a stop.

At the time of the incident, the aircraft was transporting a cargo load of six tons of meat. Despite the impact of the landing, there were no injuries reported among the four occupants on board. However, the aircraft sustained damage that rendered it a total loss.

Findings

The investigation determined that the primary factor leading to the emergency was the failure of one engine during the early stages of flight.

Probable cause

The engine failed while the aircraft was in its initial climb phase after takeoff.