Accident Overview
A seaplane departing Buenos Aires harbor at 1152 local time, bound for Asunción with intermediate stops at Rosario, Corrientes, and Formosa, experienced oscillations and control difficulties minutes after takeoff. The captain decided to return to Buenos Aires for a safe landing. However, a ship in the channel prevented an immediate landing. After several circuits, the pilot-in-command attempted to land, but the aircraft crashed into the sea a few hundred yards offshore.
Casualties and Damage
The accident resulted in nine fatalities: one crew member and eight passengers. Forty-one other occupants sustained injuries. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the accident was probably caused by a premature withdrawal of the flaps, a trend exacerbated by abnormal conditions affecting the airworthiness of the seaplane, particularly evident in the approach procedure. A concurrent cause was inadequate maintenance of the aircraft and the failure in the process of clearing the elevator control, as established by the seaplane maintenance manual.