Mérida – Lagunillas – Maracaibo

On January 21, 1959 at 03:30 PM, Mérida – Lagunillas – Maracaibo experienced a crash involving Curtiss C-46 Commando, operated by Linea Expressa Bolivar Compania Aérea - LEBCA, with the event recorded near Mérida Mérida.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 2, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft departed Mérida-Alberto Carnevalli Airport at 1505LT on a charter flight to Maracaibo with an intermediate stop at Lagunillas. After takeoff, while approaching El Callejon Pass at an altitude of 7,000 feet, the crew realized it would not be possible to clear the pass and decided to modify his route. Vertical to Ejido, the captain made a 180 turn, modified his heading to 030° and continued to the northeast. Few minutes later, while cruising in clouds at an altitude of 13,500 feet, the airplane struck the slope of La Culata Peak and was destroyed upon impact. The wreckage was found few hours later and all four occupants have been killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration YV-C-LBI, MSN 33411, year of manufacture 1945.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 38.9133°, -6.3573°.