Draft:Aerocon Flight 25

Aerocon Flight 25

An Aerocon Fairchild Metro similar to the aircraft involved
Accident
Date	3 November 2013 (2013-11-03)
Summary	Overran runway in bad weather conditions
Site	Near Riberalta Airport, Beni Department, Bolivia 11°0′57.7″S 66°3′51.9″W
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III
Operator	Aerocon
IATA flight No.	A425
ICAO flight No.	AEK25
Call sign	AEROCON 25
Registration	CP-2754
Flight origin	Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport, Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia
Destination	Riberalta Airport, Beni Department, Bolivia
Occupants	18
Passengers	16
Crew	2
Fatalities	8
Injuries	10
Survivors	10

On 3 November, 2013, Aerocon Flight 25, a Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III operating a domestic flight in Bolivia from Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport, Trinidad, Beni to Riberalta Airport, crashed after overrunning the runway at its destination airport. Of the 18 people on board eight were killed, and the ten survivors were injured.

Aircraft

The aircraft involved was a Fairchild SA227-AC Metro III registered as CP-2754, it was manufactured in 1989. The aircraft was carrying 16 passengers and two crew members.

Accident

The flight departed Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport at 2:58 pm local time. During approach Riberalta tower told the crew to follow the approach path to runway 32 and then circle to land on runway 14. The aircraft landed on runway 14 at 3:56 local time. During landing there was poor visibility, less than 3 km, and it was raining. The aircraft then overrun the runway, hit some bushes and overturned catching fire, it came to a rest about 300 m from the runway. Of the 18 people on board eight passengers died, one pilot and a passenger were seriously injured, and the other pilot and the remaining seven passengers suffered minor injuries. An airport employee, who witnessed the crash, reported that the aircraft touched down lately before overrunning the runway. The spokesman of Aerocon, Nelson Kinn, reported that the aircraft had suffered "techincal problems" before the landing. Hundreds of locals reached the crash site to help with the rescue efforts. Some hours after the crash the aircraft's black boxes were found.

Aftermath

Bolivian president Evo Morales sent his condolances to the families of the victims and asked for an investigation to be started, he also requested sanctions for the airline, Aerocon, due to its alleged poor safety standards; according to the bolivian government this was the fourth accident for Aerocon since 2012. The day after the accident, 4 November, the General Directorate of Civil Aviation (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil, or DGAC) formed a commission to investigate the accident.