What happened
In early 1942, a three-engine aircraft operated by the crew departed from Roboré, Bolivia, en route to Puerto Suárez. The flight originated in Santa Cruz and included intermediate stops at San Ignacio de Velasco and Roboré, carrying several officials. Due to an extended stop at San Ignacio de Velasco, the departure from Roboré was delayed. During the subsequent leg of the journey, the crew encountered deteriorating weather conditions that significantly reduced visibility. As a result, the pilots lost their navigational bearings. The captain elected to divert the aircraft to Rincón del Tigre Airfield. While descending in low-visibility conditions, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain and crashed. The wreckage was located in an isolated area in January 1942. All 17 occupants on board were killed in the impact.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the aircraft was not following its intended flight path at the time of the accident. The crew committed a possible navigation error, which was exacerbated by the lack of visibility resulting from poor weather conditions.