Bocas del Toro

The airplane departed Panama City-Marcos A. Gelabert Airport at 2013LT on a regular schedule service (flight PST982) to Bocas del Toro, carrying 35 passengers and three crew members. The approach to Bocas del Toro-Capitán José Ezequiel Hall Airport was completed at night and the runway was wet by recent rain falls. After touchdown on runway 27, the airplane started to slid then veered off to the right. While contacting soft ground, the undercarriage were torn off and the airplane slid for few dozen metres. The right wing was sheared off while contacting a fence then the airplane came to a halt with the empennage that also separated from the main fuselage. All 38 occupants were quickly rescued and there were no serious injuries.

Following an uneventful flight from Panama City, the crew completed the approach and landing at Bocas del Toro Airport. After touchdown on a wet runway following heavy rain falls, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in bushes. All occupants were rescued, among them few were slightly injures. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Upon landing at Bocas del Toro, in unclear circumstances, the aircraft went out of control and veered off runway. It lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a sugarcane field. All eight occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The four engine aircraft departed Panama City-Tocumen Airport at 0549LT on a cargo flight to Managua, carrying a crew of six. At 0653LT, the last radio contact was recorded with the crew. While cruising in limited visibility, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Fábrega (3,335 meters high) located in the west part of Panama, near the border with Costa Rica. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the six occupants was found. The wreckage was found by walkers on 19 August 1989 at the altitude of 2,800 meters, more than 500 meters below the summit.
Crew:
William Gross Robles,
Ricardo Tadeo Czarski,
Marvin José Arana,
Juan de Dios Morales,
Juan Francisco Pavón,
José Félix Chávez.

The airplane suffered a structural failure in flight and a subsequent fire, forcing the pilot to abandon the aircraft and to bail out. The pilot survived and the aircraft dove into the ground and was destroyed.