Date & Time:
Apr 13, 2026 at 1057 LT
Type of aircraft:
Cessna 550 Citation Bravo
Operator:
Registration:
CP-3243
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
La Paz – Santa Cruz
MSN:
550-1132
YOM:
2006
Country:
Bolivia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed La Paz-El Alto at 0819LT on a positioning flight to Santa Cruz-El Trompillo Airport with two pilots on board. The last contact with ATC was recorded at 0850LT. About five minutes later, while cruising at FL390, the airplane initiated a turn to the right then completed a 360° circuit that was repeated 20 times until 1055LT. At this time, it entered an uncontrolled descent (the last radar contact was recorded at 19,000 feet) and eventually crashed in a flat attitude in a wooded area located northeast of San Gabriel. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Julio Cesar Sardan Villarroel, pilot,
Carlos Fernando Moyano Aguirre, pilot.
Crew:
Julio Cesar Sardan Villarroel, pilot,
Carlos Fernando Moyano Aguirre, pilot.
Probable cause:
A possible slow and accidental cabin depressurization which caused the pilots to suffer hypoxia and resulting in a loss of control after the airplane ran out of fuel.
