Puerto Ayacucho – Caracas

On May 5, 2006 at 03:35 PM, Puerto Ayacucho – Caracas experienced a crash involving IAI Arava 201, operated by Venezuelan National Guard - Guardia Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela, with the event recorded near El Cedrito Vargas.

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

5 people were known to be on board, 5 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: 1, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While cruising at an altitude of 6,700 feet in marginal weather conditions, the crew started the descent to Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar and descended to 5,000 feet when the aircraft struck trees and crashed on the slope of a mountain located near the village of El Cedrito, about 29 km southwest of the airport. The wreckage was found two day later, in the morning of May 7. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all five occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration GN-8168, MSN 071, year of manufacture 1981.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 10.4555°, -67.2226°.