Delivery Flight Crash in the Andes: Pilot Killed in High-Altitude Accident (ZP-CAX)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence The aircraft was operating a delivery flight from Mexico City to Asunción, Paraguay, with scheduled intermediate stops at Antofagasta, Chile, and Salta, Argentina. At 1245 local time, the aircraft departed Antofagasta for Salta. The planned route was a visual flight rules (VFR) path via Chosque, Chile, and San Antonio de los Cobres, in Salta Province. At 1400 hours, the aircraft was observed flying in a straight line at very low altitude toward San Antonio de los Cobres, approximately 40 km east of Olapacato. A witness, believing the aircraft intended to land, followed it in a jeep and later found its burned wreckage about 20 km away. The aircraft had struck the side of a hill rising north of Rio Tocomar, roughly 70 metres above the river bed, at an elevation of approximately 4,500 metres above sea level. ## Impact and Casualties An eyewitness reported that the aircraft impacted the northern slope of the hill in rectilinear horizontal flight, with no avoiding action taken by the pilot. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was killed. The aircraft was destroyed by the crash and the subsequent fire.