On September 30, 1977, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration TG-AKA) operated by Aviateca was involved in an aviation accident near Flores-Mundo Maya (Santa Elena), Guatemala during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A tire failure on a gravel runway led to a loss of control and subsequent impact with the cockpit by a detached propeller blade. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A single-engine aircraft excursion resulted in one fatality and two minor injuries after a tire failure led to a loss of control during landing.
What happened
During the landing phase on a gravel airstrip, an aircraft experienced a sudden failure of its left tire immediately following touchdown. This mechanical failure caused the pilot to lose directional control, resulting in the plane veering toward the left side of the runway.
As the aircraft drifted off the prepared surface, the left engine made contact with the ground. The impact was severe enough to cause a propeller blade to detach from the engine assembly. This detached component then struck the cockpit area of the plane. The aircraft continued to roll for several meters before finally coming to a stop.
Findings
The incident resulted in one fatality and two minor injuries.
The primary cause of the excursion was the bursting of the left tire upon landing on the gravel surface.
The death of the pilot was directly attributed to being struck by the detached propeller blade during the ground excursion.
Probable cause
A tire failure on a gravel runway led to a loss of control and subsequent impact with the cockpit by a detached propeller blade.