HPF821

On October 5, 1986 at 12:00 AM, HPF821 experienced a crash involving Fairchild C-123 Provider, operated by Corporate Air Services, with the event recorded near San Carlos Río San Juan.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 75.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is terrorism act, hijacking, sabotage. The aircraft departed San Salvador-Ilopango Airport and was dispatched over Nicaragua to deliver military supply to the Contras on behalf of a US program. On board were 70 AK-47 rifles, about 100,000 ammunition, rockets and grenades. Approaching San Carlos after flying along the coast, the crew descended to an altitude of 2,500 feet and was preparing to jettison the cargo when the aircraft was shot downy by a surface-to-air SAM-7 missile from the Sandinista forces. The aircraft lost height and crashed. Three crew members were killed while the fourth was able to parachute to safety. He was later captured by the Sandinista National Liberation Front.

Aircraft reference details include registration HPF821, MSN 20128, year of manufacture 1954.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 11.1781°, -84.8340°.