6 fatalities

2021-04-07: Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (HC-CVC) — Private Ecuadorian — Salitre, Ecuador

Salitre, EcuadorFlight

On April 7, 2021, a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (registration HC-CVC) operated by Private Ecuadorian was involved in an aviation accident near Salitre, Ecuador in flight. 6 people were killed. 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.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781190103Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine PA-31 Panther II on an ambulance flight from Nueva Loja to Guayaquil crashed near Salitre, killing all six occupants. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident.

Accident

On an unspecified date, a twin-engine aircraft (a PA-31 Panther II variant) departed Nueva Loja-Lago Agrio Airport at 1023 local time on an ambulance flight bound for Guayaquil. The flight carried one patient, one nurse, two doctors, and two pilots. The descent to Guayaquil-José Joaquín de Olmedo Airport was initiated when the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Río Salitre, near the town of Salitre, approximately 35 km north of Guayaquil Airport. The aircraft was destroyed, and all six occupants were killed.

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was a twin-engine PA-31 Panther II variant. No registration or additional details about the aircraft were provided in the investigation source.

Crew and Passengers

The crew comprised pilot Gabriel Guapáz and copilot Edwin Velásquez. The passengers were identified as Jaime Muñoz, Elvis Trujillo, Silvia Orellana, and Julio Jaramillo. The group included medical personnel and a patient, as the flight was an ambulance service.