2016 Ecuadorian Army Arava crash

Ecuadorian Air Force Arava crash

An IAI Arava of the Honduran Air Force, similar to the crashed aircraft
Accident summary
Date 15 March 2016
Summary Landing Attempt In Bad Weather
Site Hacienda La Palmira, Pastaza, Ecuador
1°26′0″S 77°59′0″W / 1.43333°S 77.98333°W / -1.43333; -77.98333
Passengers 19
Crew 3
Fatalities 22 (all)
Aircraft type IAI Arava 201[1]
Operator Ecuadorian Army
Registration E-206[1]
Flight origin Río Amazonas Airport

On 15 March 2016, an IAI Arava transport aircraft of the Ecuadorian Army crashed in the eastern part of the country.[2][3][4] The accident is the deadliest involving an IAI Arava.[1]

Accident

The Arava plane took off from the Río Amazonas military airport in Shell Mera in Pastaza Province at 12:51 local time. It was carrying 19 Ecuadorian paratroopers belonging to the 9th Special Forces ('Patria') Brigade, for a skydiving exercise; as well as 3 crew members (2 pilots and a mechanic). The pilot had reportedly asked for permission to return to the airport due to adverse weather conditions shortly before contact was lost with the aircraft.[5][6][7] The aircraft crashed at 14:30 local time in a mountainous area, killing all 22 on board.[8][1]

Two Ecuadorian Air Force helicopters and ground patrols were dispatched to search for the missing plane, and the flight debris was located near the Fátima peak of Hacienda La Palmira.[6][9]

Reactions

Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa described the accident as a "tragedy" to the armed forces.[6]

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 17, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.