On January 21, 2005, a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (registration CP-2412) operated by Línea Aérea Amaszonas was involved in an aviation accident near Colquiri, Bolivia in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight crew lost control of the aircraft due to heavy ice buildup on the airframe during flight through freezing fog. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A single-engine aircraft crashed into the slope of Mt Huaricollo after encountering icing conditions during a scheduled flight from La Paz.
What happened
A scheduled flight departing from La Paz-El Alto Airport at 09:15 local time ended in an accident on the slopes of Mt Huaricollo. The single engine aircraft was operating a route to Sucre with a total of 12 people on board, consisting of two pilots and 10 passengers.
Approximately 45 minutes after takeoff, the flight crew notified air traffic services that the aircraft was experiencing icing conditions. Shortly thereafter, the plane began losing altitude and struck the terrain. While the aircraft was completely destroyed upon impact, all 12 occupants were successfully rescued from the site.
Findings
The investigation determined that the accident occurred because the aircraft experienced an excessive accumulation of ice and frost while operating within freezing fog.
Probable cause
The flight crew lost control of the aircraft due to heavy ice buildup on the airframe during flight through freezing fog.