Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 1 January 1985
Aircraft Type: Boeing 727-225
Owner/operator: Eastern Air Lines
Registration Number: N819EA
Location: Nevado Illimani – ÿ Bolivia
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 29 / Occupants: 29
Component Affected: Boeing 727 aircraftBoeing 727 aircraft
Category: Accident
An Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727 experienced a catastrophic crash during descent to La Paz-El Alto Airport (LPB) in Bolivia, resulting in the loss of all 29 passengers and crew.An Eastern Air Lines Boeing 727 experienced a catastrophic crash during descent to La Paz-El Alto Airport (LPB) in Bolivia, resulting in the loss of all 29 passengers and crew.

Description

Eastern Air Lines flight 980, a Boeing 727, impacted a mountainside during descent towards La Paz-El Alto Airport (LPB), Bolivia, killing all 29 on board. Flight EA980 was a scheduled flight from Asuncion (ASU), Paraguay to La Paz (LPB), Bolivia. The aircraft had reported crossing the DAKON intersection, 55 NM southeast of La Paz, at 25,000 ft. MSL. They were then cleared by La Paz ATC to descend to 18,000 feet, and the crew acknowledged this clearance. Although the Boeing 727 was supposed to be approaching La Paz along airway UA 320, on a 134ø radial from the La Paz VOR, it veered significantly off course beyond DAKON; perhaps because the crew were maneuvering to avoid weather in the vicinity. The aircraft impacted the 19,600-ft. level of Mt. Illimani, a 21,000-ft. Andean peak, approximately 26 NM from the La Paz VOR/DME and 25 NM from La Paz runway 09R. Dark night, weather, and lack of visual references in the area all contributed to the crew’s inability to see and avoid the high terrain in their path. A climbing expedition was organized the following summer to retrieve the flight recorders. The expedition reached the crash site and was able to dig through accumulated snow and examine the wreckage. However, bad weather and altitude sickness forced the expedition to turn back without recovering the recorders. Early June 2016 an expedition found parts of the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder containers. Magnetic tape segments that were recovered were not the ¬-inch width tape from a cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder.

Source of Information

https://operationthonapa.com/31-years-later-we-found-the-flight-recorders-786d0f9fde61#.699dstpbk, https://web.archive.org/web/20170223050202/https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20170207.aspxhttps://operationthonapa.com/31-years-later-we-found-the-flight-recorders-786d0f9fde61#.699dstpbk, https://web.archive.org/web/20170223050202/https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20170207.aspx

Primary Cause

Significant deviation from planned route due to crew maneuvering to avoid weather conditions, leading to a significant loss of altitude and impact with a mountainous terrain.Significant deviation from planned route due to crew maneuvering to avoid weather conditions, leading to a significant loss of altitude and impact with a mountainous terrain.

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