Aircraft Collision with Mt Nevado Illimani Near La Paz (N819EA)

Incident Overview and Route Deviation After crossing the Dakon intersection, approximately 55 nautical miles southeast of La Paz, the flight crew received clearance to descend from flight level 250 to flight level 180. During this phase, the crew deviated from the prescribed route, apparently to avoid bad weather. ## Impact and Casualties At an altitude of 19,600 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Nevado Illimani, a peak 6,400 meters high, located 43 kilometers southeast of runway 28. The aircraft disintegrated on impact, and all 29 occupants were killed. ## Official Findings The investigation determined that the accident was caused by controlled flight into terrain. The crew failed to realize that their altitude and path were incorrect while cruising in limited visibility due to night conditions and clouds extending up to 9,000 meters.