On December 17, 1994, a Douglas DC-3 (registration YV-761C) operated by Servivensa - Servicios Avensa - Servicios Aerovias Venezolanas was involved in an aviation accident near Cerro Aicha, Venezuela during landing or approach. 7 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck trees because it was flying at an insufficient altitude during its approach to the runway. 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.
An aircraft crashed short of the runway threshold at Cerro Aicha after striking trees during its final approach.
What happened
During an approach to the Cerro Aicha airfield, an aircraft struck the tops of trees while flying at an insufficient altitude. The impact occurred approximately 2 km before reaching the threshold of runway 15. Despite the presence of favorable weather conditions at the time of the incident, the aircraft was unable to clear the obstacles in its flight path.
Findings
The aircraft was operating at an altitude that was too low for the terrain clearance required during the approach phase.
The accident resulted in seven fatalities, which included the entire flight crew of three people.
A total of eight individuals sustained injuries during the crash event.
Probable cause
The aircraft struck trees because it was flying at an insufficient altitude during its approach to the runway.