Trujillo | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The twin engine aircraft departed Charallave-Óscar Machado Zuloaga Airport on a charter flight to Valera, carrying four passengers and two pilots. While descending to Valera-Carvajal Airport in IMC conditions, at an altitude of 9,650 feet, the aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Piedra Gorda located 35 km from the airport. The wreckage was found the following day at the end of the afternoon. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 6 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain after the crew started the descent prematurely. The lack of visibility was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-32 on Mt La Aguada: 45 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1991 at 1617 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-9

Operator:

Registration:

YV-23C

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Maracaibo – Santa Bárbara de Zulia

MSN:

47720

YOM:

1976

Flight number:

LV108

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

32452

Aircraft flight cycles:

50298

Circumstances:

After departure from Maracaibo-La Chinita Airport, the crew followed a wrong heading to Santa Bárbara de Zulia (153° instead of 193°), which caused the aircraft to fly to the southeast over the lake of Maracaibo. While cruising at an altitude of 16,500 feet, the crew was cleared by ATC to descend to 5,500 feet. The crew reported to ATC that the VOR seemed to be inoperative but this was denied by the air traffic controller. At an altitude of 9,900 feet, the captain realized something was wrong about the heading selection, stopped the descent and initiated a right turn to gain height when the GPWS alarm sounded. Shortly later, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt La Aguada (3,320 meters high) located about 27 km northeast of Valera, some 170 km northeast of Santa Bárbara de Zulia. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 45 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of the combination of the following factors:
- The crew failed to prepare the flight according to published procedures and failed to follow various checklists,
- The crew failed to realize he was following a wrong heading after takeoff and failed to proceed to the en-route checks as required,
- The crew was distracted by conversations with a third person who was seating on the jumpseat all flight,
- The crew failed to supervise the flight according to standard operations,
- Poor crew coordination,
- Lack of discipline,
- At the time of impact, the aircraft was flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions,
- Poor visibility due to low clouds surroundings the mountains struck by the airplane.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-85-DL in Páramo de Turmal: 12 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

YV-C-AZQ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

San Antonio del Tachira – Maiquetía

MSN:

19986

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

23352

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed San Antonio del Tachira Airport at 1230LT for a 2 hours and 45 minutes flight to Maiquetía-Simon Bolivar Airport. En route, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Páramo de Turmal. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 12 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, the airplane was not following the assigned route due to navigation error on part of the crew.

Probable cause:

A navigational error in course of an instrument flight at insufficient altitude caused the accident. Contributing factors were:
- Failure to follow the route San Antonio - Maiquetía as called for by the LAV Operations Manual,
- The flight took place outside of the route established by the National Airways Division,
- Overconfidence of the pilot in his knowledge of the route,
- Instrument flight which prevented visual checking of the position of the aircraft.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas R4D-1 near Niquitao: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1957 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

YV-C-AVG

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Maiquetía – Barinas

MSN:

4764

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft, chartered by the Socony Mobil Oil Company of Venezuela, took off on a special flight on 3 September at 0903LT from the Maiquetía International Airport on a through flight to Barinas. It carried a crew of 3 and 5 passengers. As the aircraft did not reach its destination nor any of the neighbouring airports that same day an emergency was declared. The wreckage was found on 12 September in the Penas Blancas Hills. There were no survivors.

Probable cause:

The probable causes of the accident are as follows:
- Bad weather and the latter's influence on radio communications and radio compass,
- Leaving the recommended route led to the aircraft going into a dangerous area,
- Flying between Boconó and Barinas at an inadequate height.

Final Report: