On December 27, 1976, a Fairchild C-82 Packet (registration CP-983) operated by Transportes Aéreos Itenez was involved in an aviation accident near San Ramón, Bolivia during takeoff. 6 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident resulted from an overweight takeoff combined with suspected engine malfunction and insufficient crew training on the aircraft type. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A twin-engine airplane crashed in a field near San Ramón Airport during takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all six people on board.
What happened
While performing a takeoff roll on runway 16 at San Ramón Airport, a twin engine airplane drifted leftward, departing the runway surface and traveling parallel to the pavement. As the aircraft reached rotation speed, the landing gear made contact with an embankment before subsequently striking a tractor positioned approximately 50 meters away. The impact caused the aircraft to lose control, leading to a crash in a nearby field that resulted in the total destruction of the plane. There were six fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements. The aircraft's weight at the time of departure exceeded the maximum takeoff weight permitted for the prevailing environmental conditions. Additionally, the crew had dealt with multiple delays due to mechanical issues involving the left engine prior to the flight, leading investigators to suspect a malfunction in that engine. During the final impact, neither engine was operational. Furthermore, it was noted that the flight engineer and the copilot lacked the necessary qualifications for this specific aircraft type.
Probable cause
The accident resulted from an overweight takeoff combined with suspected engine malfunction and insufficient crew training on the aircraft type.