Flight History
The airplane departed La Paz-El Alto at 0819 local time on a positioning flight to Santa Cruz-El Trompillo Airport with two pilots on board. The last contact with air traffic control was recorded at 0850 local time.
Accident Sequence
About five minutes after the last contact, while cruising at flight level 390, the airplane initiated a turn to the right and then completed a 360° circuit. This pattern was repeated 20 times until 1055 local time. At that time, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The last radar contact was recorded at 19,000 feet. The airplane eventually crashed in a flat attitude in a wooded area located northeast of San Gabriel.
Crew
The crew consisted of two pilots: Julio Cesar Sardan Villarroel and Carlos Fernando Moyano Aguirre. Both were killed in the accident.
Investigation
The official investigation determined the probable cause as a possible slow and accidental cabin depressurization, which caused the pilots to suffer hypoxia and resulted in a loss of control after the airplane ran out of fuel.