Incident Overview
Date: Sunday 18 August 1974
Aircraft Type: Lockheed C-141A-LM Starlifter
Owner/operator: United States Air Force – USAF
Registration Number: 65-0274
Location: 28 km N of La Paz-El Alto Airport (LPB) –
ÿ Bolivia
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Component Affected: C-141 aircraftC-141 aircraft
Category: Accident
An aircraft, C-141, experienced a significant deviation from its planned descent path due to inaccurate initial position reporting. The aircraft deviated eastward beyond the VOR, resulting in a rapid descent to a high altitude, impacting a mountain.An aircraft, C-141, experienced a significant deviation from its planned descent path due to inaccurate initial position reporting. The aircraft deviated eastward beyond the VOR, resulting in a rapid descent to a high altitude, impacting a mountain.
Description
The airport at La Paz, the destination of the C-141, is located at an elevation of 13,325 feet (4077 m). Area weather at the time included extensive cloud cover from 700 agl to FL240. When the crew reported an estimated position of three minutes from the La Paz VOR, the controller cleared them a descent from FL240 to FL180. In fact, the aircraft was much further east of the VOR, than the crew believed. The crew started their descent until it impacted a 20,000 ft mountain at the 18,700 ft level (5700 m).
Primary Cause
Inaccurate initial position reporting and deviation from planned descent path.Inaccurate initial position reporting and deviation from planned descent path.Share on:
