SAETA
Encyclopedia
SAETA was a privately held airline of Ecuador
, which began operations in the 1960s and during its heyday in the 1990s flew to numerous destinations in North and South America from its base in Guayaquil
. The collapse of Ecuador's economy in the late 1990s forced this airline to cease operations in February 2000.
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, which began operations in the 1960s and during its heyday in the 1990s flew to numerous destinations in North and South America from its base in Guayaquil
Guayaquil
Guayaquil , officially Santiago de Guayaquil , is the largest and the most populous city in Ecuador,with about 2.3 million inhabitants in the city and nearly 3.1 million in the metropolitan area, as well as that nation's main port...
. The collapse of Ecuador's economy in the late 1990s forced this airline to cease operations in February 2000.
Accidents and incidents
- On 3 July 1969, a Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
was hijacked on a domestic flight from Tulcán Airport to Mariscal Sucre International AirportMariscal Sucre International AirportMariscal Sucre International Airport is the international airport serving Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is named after Venezuelan born Antonio José de Sucre, known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , a hero of Ecuadorian and Latin American independence...
, QuitoQuitoSan Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
. The hijackers demanded to be taken to CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. - On 20 October 1971, a Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
was hijacked by six people. It landed at Cuenca AirportMariscal Lamar AirportMariscal Lamar International Airport is an airport serving Cuenca, a city in the province of Azuay in Ecuador.- Facilities :The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 05/23 with an asphalt surface measuring ....
. - On 15 August 1976, Vickers Viscount HC-ARS operating SAETA Flight 232SAETA Flight 232On 15 August, 1976, SAETA Flight 232 from Quito, Ecuador to Cuenca with 55 passengers and four crew members aboard a Vickers Viscount 785D, was reported missing while in flight. It was not found for twenty-six years....
crashed into the Chimborazo volcanoChimborazo (volcano)Chimborazo is a currently inactive stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 AD....
, killing all 59 people on board. The wreckage was not discovered until 17 October 2002. - On 23 April 1979, Vickers Viscount HC-AVP crashed in the Pastaza ProvincePastaza ProvincePastaza is a province in the Oriente of Ecuador located in the eastern jungle. The capital is Puyo, founded on May 12, 1899 and which boasts 25,800 inhabitants...
on a flight between Mariscal Sucre International AirportMariscal Sucre International AirportMariscal Sucre International Airport is the international airport serving Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. It is named after Venezuelan born Antonio José de Sucre, known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , a hero of Ecuadorian and Latin American independence...
and Cuenca Airport, killing all 57 people on board. The wreckage was discovered in 1984. The aircraft was 25 nautical miles (46.3 km) off track.