Panama City - Managua

On May 24, 1988 at 07:00 AM, Panama City - Managua experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-6, operated by Aeronica - Aerolineas Nicaraguenses, with the event recorded near Mt Fábrega Bocas del Toro.

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

6 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

The listed crash cause is human factor. The four engine aircraft departed Panama City-Tocumen Airport at 0549LT on a cargo flight to Managua, carrying a crew of six. At 0653LT, the last radio contact was recorded with the crew. While cruising in limited visibility, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Fábrega (3,335 meters high) located in the west part of Panama, near the border with Costa Rica. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually abandoned few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the six occupants was found. The wreckage was found by walkers on 19 August 1989 at the altitude of 2,800 meters, more than 500 meters below the summit. Crew: William Gross Robles, Ricardo Tadeo Czarski, Marvin José Arana, Juan de Dios Morales, Juan Francisco Pavón, José Félix Chávez.

Aircraft reference details include registration YN-CBE, MSN 45175/832, year of manufacture 1957.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 9.1313°, -82.6033°.