Buenos Aires – Mar del Plata

On January 16, 1959 at 09:40 PM, Buenos Aires – Mar del Plata experienced a crash involving Curtiss C-46 Commando, operated by Austral Lineas Aéreas, with the event recorded near Mar del Plata Buenos Aires province.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.

52 people were known to be on board, 51 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 98.1%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 47, passenger fatalities: 46, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Buenos Aires-Aeroparque-Jorge Newbury Airport at 1950LT with a delay of 35 minutes due to bad weather at destination. Following an uneventful flight, the captain obtained the permission to land on runway 12 at Mar del Plata-Brigadier General Bartolomé de la Colina Airport, passed over the threshold at a height of 85 meters and overshot. The captain decided to make a go around when control was lost. The airplane stalled and crashed into the sea about 1,2 km offshore. A passenger was seriously injured while all 51 other occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration LV-GED, MSN 30514, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -37.9816°, -57.5842°.