Venezuela Plane Crash Kills 46 Passengers

Filed in archive Aviation News on February 24, 2008

43 passengers and 3 crew members were killed when their plane crashed into a mountain. The cause of the crash is unknown, however, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that the pilot knew the area well. According to an article on Yahoo!, crash investigators and forensic experts were dropped near the crash to recover clues that may help investigators learn the cause of the accident.

The twin-engine Santa Barbara Airlines plane shattered on impact and burst into flames Thursday, leaving only its tail largely intact and a swath of blackened ground amid scrub brush. Searchers spotted the crash site by helicopter on Friday in the Sierra La Culata National Park.

"We've run into many difficulties due to the steepness of the terrain," Vinas said. High winds forced the helicopter to leave the team more than a mile from the site, requiring them to hike in thin air and subfreezing temperatures to reach it.

Firefighters carried oxygen canisters to help cope with the high altitude.

Venezuelan officials said the recovery and identification of bodies would be difficult because victims were ripped apart upon impact.

"We're going to recover everything we can," emergency management chief Gen. Antonio Rivero told The Associated Press.

President Hugo Chavez on Friday declared that "Venezuela is in mourning" and called for a full investigation.

The French-made ATR 42-300, bound for Caracas, was carrying 43 passengers and three crew members when it crashed shortly after takeoff from the Andean city of Merida, a tourist destination wedged between soaring mountain peaks.