LANSA Peru - Lineas Aéreas Nacionales del Peru

Lockheed L-188 Electra

While cruising at an altitude of 21,000 feet on a flight from Lima to Pucallpa, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and severe turbulences. It appears that lightning struck the right wing that caught fire and later detached. As the pilot-in-command attempted to stabilize the airplane, turbulences caused a structural failure of the left wing. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a jungle located in a mountainous area in the region of Puerto Inca. Debris and dead bodies were found in a large area. A female passenger aged 17, Juliane Koepcke, was ejected at impact and was the only survivor. Despite her injuries (a broken collar bone, a deep gash to her right arm, a concussion and an eye injury), she walked away for 10 days and was eventually rescued by lumbermen.

Lockheed L-188 Electra

The airplane was departing Cuzco-Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport on a flight to Lima, carrying a crew of nine and 91 passengers, among them 49 US students who were returning to Lima following a visit of the Machu Picchu ruins. During the takeoff roll, which was 700 meters longer than normal, the engine number three failed. The takeoff procedure was continued as well as the initial climb at a speed of V2 + 15 knots. Once the altitude of 300 feet was reached, the flaps were retracted and at a speed of 140 knots, the aircraft turn left then banked left at an angle of 30-45°. Control was lost and the airplane crashed onto a hill located about 4 km east of the airport. The copilot survived while 99 other occupants and two people on the ground were killed.

Lockheed L-749 Constellation

Flight 501 was a scheduled domestic flight from Lima to Cuzco. It was instructed to take-off from runway 15 and to climb in accordance with No. 2 standard climb procedure, described as follows in the airline's route guide: climb on a heading of 190° until 9 NM southwest of the airport, then on a heading of 120°. The flight took off from Lima-Callao-Jorge Chavez International Airport at 0740LT, 10 minutes after the take-off time indicated on the flight plan. At 0757 hours it contacted Lima radio on the route frequency, 126.9 MCIS, and reported: "Departed Lima- Callao at 1240Z, climbing, estimating Ayacucho at 1337Z. It This was the last message from the aircraft, although Lima and Cuzco repeatedly called the aircraft around 0840 hours. One witness from "Tres Cruces" and two witnesses from the village of San Pedro de Pilas testified that their attention was attracted between 0800 and 0805 hours by an aircraft flying unusually low over San Pedro de Pilas or Tamard; one of the witnesses stated that he had been able to read the "LANSA" inscription on the aircraft. They had heard on several occasions aircraft flying over the area, but these were always seen at much higher altitudes. They all concurred that the aircraft was following the gap between San Pedro de Pilas and Tamard and was flying toward the mountain range below the level of the peaks. The two witnesses from San Pedro de Pilas pointed out positions on the Huamantanga peak where they observed the aircraft evading the mountain by a slight turn to .the left and entering the gap towards the east. They did not see any smoke or signs of fire and one indicated that he was positive that all four engines were operating at the time. The wreckage of the aircraft was located on 28 April on the southeast slopes of Mount Talaula at an elevation of 12 600 ft, 61 NM from Lima-Callao Airport and 29 NM north of the normal route. All 49 occupants have been killed.