1986 Aerovías Guatemala air crash

Fatal aviation accident in Guatemala

1986 Aerovías Guatemala crash
Accident
HC-BAE, the aircraft involved, seen in November 1982
Date	January 18, 1986 (1986-01-18)
Summary	Controlled flight into terrain for undetermined reasons
Site	Flores, Guatemala 16°52′59″N 89°46′55″W / 16.88306°N 89.78194°W / 16.88306; -89.78194
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III
Operator	Aerovías
Registration	HC-BAE
Flight origin	La Aurora International Airport, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Destination	Santa Elena Airport, Flores, Guatemala
Occupants	93
Passengers	87
Crew	6
Fatalities	93
Survivors	0

The 1986 Aerovías Guatemala air crash occurred on 18 January 1986 and involved a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III that crashed into a hill on approach to Santa Elena Airport, Flores, Guatemala after a short flight from Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport. All 93 passengers and crew on board were killed, making it the worst air disaster in Guatemalan history.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III built in 1960. It was converted to a series 6N standard in 1962. Ecuadorian airline SAETA purchased the aircraft in 1975. Aerovías in Guatemala leased it from SAETA in 1985 in response to the increasing number of tourists visiting Guatemala.

Accident

This 40-minute flight was taking Guatemalan and foreign tourists from Guatemala City to Santa Elena Airport, in Flores, some 270 kilometres (170 mi) northeast of Guatemala City. Flores is a common staging point for visits to the ancient Maya city of Tikal. The aircraft took off on Saturday morning at 7:25 local time from La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City with 87 passengers and 6 crew on board. After approximately 30 minutes the aircraft was cleared to land at Santa Elena Airport. However the first approach was too high and the aircraft overshot the runway. On its second approach the aircraft crashed and caught fire about 8 km from the airport. The control tower's last contact with the crew occurred at 7:58, 33 minutes into the 40-minute flight, with no reports of any anomalies. The accident killed all 93 people on board: 87 passengers and 6 crew members. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the accident.

Cause

An investigation carried out into the crash was unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Low cloud cover may have caused the pilots to lose orientation and crash.

Notable passengers

Former Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister, Arístides Calvani [es], his wife, and two daughters perished in the crash.

References

^ "Guatemala crash toll now put at 93". The New York Times. 20 January 1986. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
^ "Aerovias HC-BAE – 18. January 1986". sudaviation.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
^ "90 Killed in Guatemala Plane Crash : Cause Not Known; Six Americans Included in Toll". Los Angeles Times. 19 January 1986.
"CFIT Accident Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle VI-N HC-BAE, Saturday 18 January 1986". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
"Calvani, Arístides". Fundación Empresas Polar (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2024.

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 1986 (1986)
Jan 18 Aerovías Caravelle crashJan 28 VASP Flight 210Feb 16 China Airlines Flight 2265Mar 2 Aeroflot Flight F-77Mar 31 Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940Apr 2 TWA Flight 840Apr 5 Ljósufjöll air crashApr 17 Hindawi affairMay 3 Air Lanka Flight 512May 3 China Airlines Flight 334Jun 18 Grand Canyon National Park collisionJul 2 Aeroflot Flight 2306Aug 3 LIAT Flight 319Aug 16 Sudan Airways Fokker F-27 shootdownAug 31 Aeroméxico Flight 498Sep 5 Pan Am Flight 73Oct 5 Corporate Air Services HPF821Oct 19 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crashOct 20 Aeroflot Flight 6502Oct 26 Thai Airways International Flight 620Nov 6 British Int'l Helicopters Chinook crashNov 17 Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628Dec 12 Aeroflot Flight 892Dec 25 Iraqi Airways Flight 163
1985 ◄ ► 1987

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1986 (1986)

Jan 18 Aerovías Caravelle crashJan 28 VASP Flight 210Feb 16 China Airlines Flight 2265Mar 2 Aeroflot Flight F-77Mar 31 Mexicana de Aviación Flight 940Apr 2 TWA Flight 840Apr 5 Ljósufjöll air crashApr 17 Hindawi affairMay 3 Air Lanka Flight 512May 3 China Airlines Flight 334Jun 18 Grand Canyon National Park collisionJul 2 Aeroflot Flight 2306Aug 3 LIAT Flight 319Aug 16 Sudan Airways Fokker F-27 shootdownAug 31 Aeroméxico Flight 498Sep 5 Pan Am Flight 73Oct 5 Corporate Air Services HPF821Oct 19 Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crashOct 20 Aeroflot Flight 6502Oct 26 Thai Airways International Flight 620Nov 6 British Int'l Helicopters Chinook crashNov 17 Japan Air Lines Cargo Flight 1628Dec 12 Aeroflot Flight 892Dec 25 Iraqi Airways Flight 163

1985 ◄ ► 1987

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Guatemala
Aviateca Convair 240 crash (April 1977) Aerovías Guatemala air crash (January 1986) Cubana de Aviación Flight 1216 (December 1999) Aéreo Ruta Maya crash (August 2008)
This list is incomplete.

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