1977 Aviateca Convair 240 airplane crash
Encyclopedia
The 1977 Aviateca Convair 240 airplane crash was a scheduled Aviateca
passenger flight that crashed near Guatemala City
, Guatemala
on April 27, 1977, killing all 28 on board.
, took off from La Aurora International Airport
(GUA/MGGT) in Guatemala City, as scheduled. During the initial climb to cruise altitude the number one engine suffered a failure due to oil exhaustion. The crew was unable to feather the propeller and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in rough terrain. The plane was destroyed in the attempt, killing all 22 passengers and six crew on board.
The aircraft had undergone maintenance shortly before the flight. In order to perform this maintenance, it was necessary to disconnect a high-pressure oil hose from the engine cylinders. The investigation found that it had not been correctly reattached, thus starving the engine of oil.
Aviateca
Aviateca was the state-owned flag carrier of Guatemala, headquartered in Guatemala City. It is now a subsidiary of Grupo TACA.- History :The airline was established on 14 March 1945 as Empresa Guatemalteca de Aviación S. A., which was shortened to Aviateca. It was formed as the successor to...
passenger flight that crashed near Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
on April 27, 1977, killing all 28 on board.
Final moments
The aircraft, a Convair 240Convair 240
The Convair CV-240 was an American airliner produced by Convair from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement of the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. While featuring a more modern design, the 240 series was able to make some inroads as a commercial airliner and also had a long development cycle...
, took off from La Aurora International Airport
La Aurora International Airport
La Aurora International Airport serves Guatemala City, Guatemala. It is located south of Guatemala City's center and from Antigua. It is administered by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil....
(GUA/MGGT) in Guatemala City, as scheduled. During the initial climb to cruise altitude the number one engine suffered a failure due to oil exhaustion. The crew was unable to feather the propeller and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in rough terrain. The plane was destroyed in the attempt, killing all 22 passengers and six crew on board.
Investigation
The Government of Guatemala initiated a full investigation. The results of this investigation are as follows:The aircraft had undergone maintenance shortly before the flight. In order to perform this maintenance, it was necessary to disconnect a high-pressure oil hose from the engine cylinders. The investigation found that it had not been correctly reattached, thus starving the engine of oil.