2017 Cessna U206G Accident in Bolivia (CP-2846)

Incident Overview and Discovery On May 24, 2017, a Cessna U206G with registration CP-2846 crashed in a jungle area in the province of Itenez, approximately 86 miles from Trinidad, Bolivia. The aircraft was a single-engine, high-wing model with a fixed landing gear and a three-blade propeller. The accident occurred at 06:21 local time (10:21 UTC), as indicated by the activation of the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The ELT signal was reported to the Bolivian Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) by AASANA at 09:00 local time on the same day. The aircraft had filed a flight plan on May 23, 2017, departing from El Trompillo in Santa Cruz with a destination of Carmen del Itenez for an overnight stay. The wreckage was located on May 25, 2017, in an inaccessible forested area. Both occupants, a pilot and a passenger, were found deceased. Rescue efforts were complicated by the difficult terrain. A rescue commission, including a prosecutor, a forensic doctor, and police officers, was organized on May 26, 2017, but could not transport the bodies due to the inaccessibility of the site. On May 27, 2017, the pilot's body was recovered and transported to Tarija. The passenger's body was recovered on May 28, 2017, and transported to Trinidad. The aircraft was found to have impacted the ground in a nose-down attitude, striking trees approximately 20 to 30 meters high at a 45-degree angle, about 1,500 meters from the northern threshold of the 'Puesto El Carmen' airstrip. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propeller, engine, instrument panel, cabin, and fuselage. The exact coordinates of the accident site were S 14°47.95' W 063°25.367'.