What happened
On June 5, 1950, a Curtiss C-46 departed from Isle Grande Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, bound for Wilmington, North Carolina. The aircraft was operating with a total takeoff weight of 48,25 and pounds, which exceeded the certified limit by 258 pounds. During the flight, while cruising at 6,500 feet over the Atlantic, the crew observed a significant drop in oil quantity in the right engine.
Shortly thereafter, the left engine experienced a backfire and lost power. Despite attempts to adjust fuel mixture and carburetor heat, the crew was forced to feather the left propeller. While attempting to maintain flight on a single engine toward Nassau, the crew noted that the right engine's oil level continued to drop and the cylinder head temperature rose to nearly 300 degrees centigrade.
Recognizing the imminent failure of the remaining engine, the pilot initiated a voluntary descent to ditch the aircraft. A series of radio messages tracked the plane's decreasing altitude, with the final transmission indicating the aircraft was entering the water. The Curtiss C-46 ditched in the ocean approximately 20 minutes after the initial engine malfunction began.
Following the impact, passengers and crew attempted to evacuate via the main door and emergency exits. While some individuals moved onto the wings or jumped into the sea, several life rafts drifted away in the dark. Ultimately, 37 survivors (comprising the three crew members and 34 passengers) managed to board two inflated rafts. One individual who survived the initial ditching was unfortunately killed by sharks before rescue could be completed. The survivors were later located by a Coast Guard aircraft and rescued by the USS Saufley.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating above its maximum certified weight at takeoff.
- Both engines malfunctioned due to unknown causes, leading to the loss of power and subsequent ditching.