Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 108

Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 108

An Aeropostal McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 similar to the one involved.
Accident summary
Date	March 5, 1991
Summary	Pilot error
Site	near La Valesa, Venezuela
Passengers	40
Crew	5
Fatalities	45 (all)
Injuries (non-fatal)	0
Survivors	0
Aircraft type	McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32
Operator	Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela
Flight origin	La Chinita International Airport, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Destination	Santa Barbara Ed-L Delicias Airport, Venezuela

Aeropostal Alas de Venezuela Flight 108 took off from La Chinita International Airport in Maracaibo, Venezuela, on March 5, 1991, on a short-haul flight to Santa Barbara Ed-L Delicias Airport in Venezuela with 45 passengers and crew. Some minutes later the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 crashed on the side of a foggy mountain near La Valesa in the La Aguada sector of the Páramo Los Torres and burst into flames. All 45 people on board died.

Cause

A investigation into the accident found that the cause of the crash was pilot error. The pilots inadvertently entered the wrong radial into their navigation system and went off course. Because of the fog the pilots did not know they were on a collision course with the mountain.

References

• Aviation Safety Network