What happened
In October 1987, a twin engine aircraft was performing a flight at an altitude of 9,000 feet when it impacted the side of Mt Cuilato, situated to the southwest of Saravena. Following the failure of the flight to reach its intended destination, search and rescue operations were launched to locate the missing plane and its occupants.
Despite these efforts, the search was officially ended on 15 October 1987 because no evidence of the aircraft or the nine fatalities could be identified at that time. The wreckage remained lost for over a decade until it was finally discovered in a remote, isolated region on 30 March 2000.
Findings
- The aircraft crashed into the slope of a mountain during the cruise phase of flight.
- The impact with terrain prevented the aircraft from reaching its destination.