Quito - Cuenca

On August 15, 1976 at 08:35 AM, Quito - Cuenca experienced a crash involving Vickers Viscount, operated by SAETA - Sociedad Anonima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aéreos, with the event recorded near Mt Chimborazo Chimborazo.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

59 people were known to be on board, 59 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 55, passenger fatalities: 55, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The airplane departed Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport at 0806LT on a regular schedule flight EH232 to Cuenca, carrying four crew members and 55 passengers. At 0827LT, while cruising at 18,000 feet, the crew reported over Ambato. Eight minutes later, while cruising in limited visibility, the four engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Chimborazo (6,263 metres high). As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 59 occupants was found. The wreckage was apparently localized on 17 October 2002 and a team of 20 alpinists was able to reach the crash site on 18 February 2003. Debris of the airplane were found, confirming this was flight EH232.

Aircraft reference details include registration HC-ARS, MSN 377, year of manufacture 1958.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -1.6605°, -78.6493°.