Zone
Crash of a Grumman G-159 Gulfstream GI in El Petén: 2 killed
Date & Time:
Feb 12, 2006 at 2115 LT
Registration:
YV-903CP
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Valencia – Barinas
MSN:
173
YOM:
1966
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Valencia-Arturo Michelana Airport at 2103LT on a flight to Barinas, southwest Venezuela. The flight plan was filed at FL220 and should take 35 minutes. En route, the crew reported all OK on board when the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. SAR did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the crew who was considered as deceased. In august 2008, an unconfirmed report mentioned that the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances near El Petén, Guatemala. It seems that aircraft was stolen and the flight was illegal (drug smuggling flight). Due to circumstances, all hypothesis remains still open.
Crash of a Cessna 208A Caravan near Pariaguán: 3 killed
Date & Time:
May 15, 2005 at 1515 LT
Operator:
Registration:
YV-1112P
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Valencia – Pariaguán
MSN:
208-0014
YOM:
1985
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft departed Valencia at 1400LT and was estimated to arrive at Pariaguán at 1518LT. While descending to Pariaguán Airport, the pilot informed ATC about his position, eight nautical miles from the airport. This was the last radio transmission. The wreckage was found the following day in an isolated area. All three occupants were killed. The accident occurred eight minutes prior to the ETA.
Crash of a Boeing 707312B in Niamey
Date & Time:
Sep 21, 2000 at 2050 LT
Registration:
5V-TAG
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paris - Valencia - Niamey
MSN:
19739
YOM:
1968
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft departed Paris-Le Bourget Airport on a flight to Valencia, Spain, where members of the chorus of the University of Bénin-Togo were dropped off. At the end of the afternoon, the crew departed Valencia on the final leg of the day to Lomé, Togo. While in cruising altitude over the Niger territory, the crew informed ATC about smoke spreading in the cockpit and was cleared for an emergency descent and landing at Niamey-Diori Hamani Airport. On approach, due to the failure of the hydraulic systems, the crew was unable to lower the undercarriage so a belly landing was completed. The aircraft slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All 10 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the in-flight smoke and fire was the consequence of an electrical short-circuit.
Crash of a Yakovlev Yak-42D in Valencia: 22 killed
Date & Time:
Dec 25, 1999 at 2015 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CU-T1285
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Havana - Valencia
MSN:
49 14 068
YOM:
1989
Flight number:
CU310
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
22
Circumstances:
The three engine aircraft departed Havana Airport on a special flight to Valencia-Arturo Michelena Airport with 12 passengers and 10 crew members on board. They were on their way to Valencia to pick up Cuban rescuers who were recently dispatched in Venezuela to help local authorities following heavy floods that killed more than 10,000 people. Following a holding circuit of about 40 minutes, the crew was cleared to descend from 8,000 feet to 4,000 feet when, on final, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt San Luis located 12 km short of runway. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 22 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain after the crew started the descent prematurely and continued below the minimum safe altitude until the aircraft impacted terrain. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to the night.
