15 fatalities

1991-07-09: Casa 212 Aviocar (OB-1218) — Aero Chasqui — Bellavista-Huallaga, Peru

Bellavista-Huallaga, PeruTakeoff (climb)

On July 9, 1991, a Casa 212 Aviocar (registration OB-1218) operated by Aero Chasqui was involved in an aviation accident near Bellavista-Huallaga, Peru during takeoff. 15 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Shot down by local police officers. At the time of the crash, all policemen were intoxicated and elected to stop the airplane as they suspected narcotic traffic. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781211867Data APIEditorial standards

A crew was stopped by police while parked at Bellavista-Huallaga Airport. Ignoring instructions, they took off. At 20 meters, police bullets hit the aircraft, causing a crash that killed all 15 occupants. The official probable cause is that the aircraft was shot down by intoxicated police officers who suspected narcotic traffic.

Incident

While parked at Bellavista-Huallaga Airport, the crew of the aircraft was stopped by seven local police officers who suspected narcotic traffic. In a state of confusion, the crew ignored the police instructions and elected to take off. Shortly after rotation, while climbing to a height of 20 meters, the aircraft was struck by several bullets fired by the policemen. The crew lost control of the airplane, which crashed near the runway.

Aftermath

All 15 occupants of the aircraft were killed in the crash. Later examination revealed that the captain was killed instantly, while the copilot died one hour after the accident. Five bullets were found in the copilot's body.

Probable Cause

According to the official investigation, the aircraft was shot down by local police officers. At the time of the crash, all policemen were intoxicated and had elected to stop the airplane as they suspected narcotic traffic.