Accident Overview
On an unspecified date, a non-scheduled international cargo flight departed Iquitos, Peru, en route to Miami, USA, with stops in Cali, Colombia, and Panama City, Panama. The flight carried wild animals. After refueling and engine repairs in Cali, the aircraft continued to Panama City and landed at Tocumen Airport for refueling at 2320 hours local time. At 2333 hours, it took off normally from runway 03 bound for Miami.
Sequence of Events
One minute after takeoff, the tower controller observed large flames at a heading of approximately 040° but could not determine whether the aircraft was still airborne or had crashed. He immediately raised the alarm and inquired if radar contact remained. Upon receiving a negative reply, he notified airport authorities of a crash. Investigation later revealed that the aircraft had struck a mahogany tree at about 70 feet above ground, then several other trees before coming to rest on uneven terrain. The accident site was 2.5 miles northeast from the end of runway 03 at Tocumen Airport. The airplane was destroyed, and all seven occupants were killed.
Probable Cause
The Commission of Inquiry determined that the accident was probably caused by faulty maintenance. A malfunction of No. 2 engine apparently occurred during the initial takeoff phase, leading to an intense in-flight fire. The fire destroyed some control surfaces, resulting in loss of control, and the aircraft struck several trees and crashed.