San Salvador – Guatemala City

On April 10, 1980 at 12:00 AM, San Salvador – Guatemala City experienced a crash involving Piper PA-31-310 Navajo, operated by Salvadorian Air Force - Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, with the event recorded near Guatemala City-La Aurora Guatemala.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. On approach to Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport, the pilot encountered low visibility due to heavy rain falls when the twin engine airplane crashed near Santa Catarina Pinula, few km from the airfield. The airplane was destroyed and all three occupants were killed, three officers of the Salvadoran Air Force, among them Gilberto Balmore Escamilla, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Crew: Maj Fernando Salazar Mena, Cpt Fredy Roberto Asencio. Passenger: Gilberto Balmore Escamilla.

Aircraft reference details include registration FAS001.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 14.5822°, -90.5290°.