What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, an aircraft departed Arica for a scheduled eight-hour journey under visual flight rules (VFR). The flight plan intended for the plane to maintain a cruising altitude of 17,000 feet. Shortly after takeoff, at roughly 1327 hours Bolivian time, the crew provided air traffic control in Cochabamba with essential flight data, including the total passenger count, aircraft weight, and fuel levels.
During the flight, air traffic controllers in La Paz monitored other nearby traffic, specifically notifying Flight 915 of two Panagra flights—numbers 701 and 393—which were traversing the region at altitudes between 21,000 and 22,000 feet. While the crew initially acknowledged these updates, communication ceased after approximately 1400 hours when controllers attempted to provide further position reports for the other aircraft but received no response.
Investigations later established that the aircraft struck Chachacomani Peak, located in Peru near the Chilean border, at an altitude of 14,250 feet. The impact is believed to have occurred between 1351 and 1355 hours. Following the discovery of the wreckage by a reconnaissance crew, search teams confirmed that there were 39 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the flight was operating under VFR at an altitude lower than what was specified in the original flight plan. This maneuver was performed during marginal weather conditions characterized by severe turbulence common to the western region of the area.