Aircraft overrun at Pivijay Airport during emergency diversion

No fatalities • Pivijay, Colombia • Landing (descent or approach)

A cargo flight traveling from Panama City to Aruba diverted to Pivijay Airport due to a burning odor, resulting in an aircraft overrun and hull loss.

What happened

During a scheduled cargo operation from Panama City to Oranjestad, Aruba, the flight crew detected a burning smell inside the cabin. In response to this emergency, the crew decided to divert the flight to Pivijay Airport for an unscheduled landing.

Upon arriving at the airfield, the aircraft touched down on a runway measuring 850 meters in length. The pilot was unable to decelerate the plane sufficiently before reaching the end of the pavement. Consequently, the aircraft overran the runway, collided with a perimeter fence, and eventually stopped in an adjacent field. There were no fatalities among the two pilots, though both remained uninjured during the incident. The impact and subsequent excursion resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair.

Findings

Investigations into the event determined that the diversion was necessitated by a smell of burning reported during the flight, although investigators were unable to identify the specific origin of the fire. A primary contributing factor to the accident was that the crew landed too far down the runway, which left an insufficient amount of distance for the aircraft to come to a complete stop before the end of the paved surface.

Probable cause

The aircraft overran the runway because the landing point was too far down the short runway strip, leaving inadequate braking distance.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1972-07-21 Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) accident near Pivijay, Colombia?

A cargo flight traveling from Panama City to Aruba diverted to Pivijay Airport due to a burning odor, resulting in an aircraft overrun and hull loss.

Were there any fatalities in the 1972-07-21 Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3) accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1972-07-21 involved a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3), registration N39393, operated by Acme Leasing, at Pivijay, Colombia.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft overran the runway because the landing point was too far down the short runway strip, leaving inadequate braking distance.

Loading the flight search…