Incident
A cargo aircraft conducting a flight from El Salvador to La Paz experienced a left engine failure while descending to La Paz-El Alto Airport at an altitude of 17,000 feet. The aircraft was carrying five occupants and a load of 5 tons of meat at the time of the incident.
Emergency Landing
The crew was unable to feather the propeller of the failed engine and subsequently decided to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a rocky area located 9 kilometers east of El Alto Airport. Upon impact, the undercarriage and both engines detached, and the aircraft came to rest.
Aftermath
All five occupants escaped the aircraft with minor injuries. The aircraft itself sustained damage beyond repair.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined the probable cause to be failure of the left engine in flight for unknown reasons.