Date & Time:
Mar 4, 1981 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
Operator:
Líneas Aéreas Riojanas
Registration:
LV-MEV
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
La Rioja – Chilecito
MSN:
31-7852014
YOM:
1978
Country:
Argentina
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
4
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed La Rioja-Capitán Vicente Almandos Almonacid Airport in the early morning on a flight to Chilecito. After passing Patquía, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with low clouds when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain and crashed in Los Mogotes Colorados, about 75 km southwest of La Rioja. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Daniel del Punta, pilot,
Santiago O'Brien, copilot.
Passengers:
Federico Coria Peñaloza,
Jacinto Robles,
Raúl Haise,
Augusto Cesar Gordillo.
Crew:
Daniel del Punta, pilot,
Santiago O'Brien, copilot.
Passengers:
Federico Coria Peñaloza,
Jacinto Robles,
Raúl Haise,
Augusto Cesar Gordillo.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that it was the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.
