Coca – Pastaza

On September 16, 1965 at 11:02 AM, Coca – Pastaza experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Transportes Aéreos Orientales - TAO, with the event recorded near Pastaza Pastaza.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.

11 people were known to be on board, 9 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 81.8%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 8, passenger fatalities: 6, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft took off from Coca Airport at 1020 hours local time on a scheduled domestic flight to Pastaza, a distance of 100 miles. The flight was to take approximately 45 minutes. At 1052 hours the pilot reported over Arajuno, approximately 12 minutes before its ETA at Pastaza, indicating that he was flying at 4 500 ft, mainly IFR. Thereafter the weather conditions further deteriorated and the aircraft finally entered a poor weather zone with continuous rain. At approximately 1102 hours it collided with trees and then crashed. Two passengers survived while 9 other occupants were killed, among them all three crew members.

Aircraft reference details include registration HC-AFQ, MSN 17009/34272, year of manufacture 1945.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -1.4684°, -77.9925°.