Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518
Encyclopedia
Santa Bárbara Airlines
Flight 518 was an ATR 42-300
twin-turboprop
aircraft, registration YV1449, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Mérida
, Venezuela
to Caracas
that crashed into the side of a mountain on 21 February 2008, shortly after takeoff. There were 43 passengers on board, with a crew of two pilots and a flight attendant. The wreckage was discovered a day later with no survivors. It is the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving an ATR 42.
mountains, is surrounded by higher terrain, with night flights prohibited at the nearby Alberto Carnevalli Airport
. On 21 February 2008, Flight 518 was the last scheduled flight out of the airport, departing at about 17:00 local time.
Shortly after take-off, the ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop slammed into a sheer 13000 feet (3,962.4 m) rock wall called "Indian Face" (Spanish: La Cara del Indio). No distress calls were received from the aircraft prior to impact.
. Unión Radio cited civil defense regional chief, Gerardo Rojas, as saying that rescue crews were racing to the poorly-accessible crash site in the Andes Mountains. Mountain villagers reported hearing a huge noise they thought could be a crash soon after the disappearance and loss of contact with Flight 518. According to local police, the wreckage of the aircraft was located at Páramo de Mucuchíes, in the sector of Collao del Cóndor, Páramo Piedra Blanca, near the Laguna de la Perlada. The search operation was conducted from the regional hub city of Barinas in western Venezuela.
Air-rescue services said that the twin-turboprop
ATR 42
crashed 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the mountain city of Mérida
after take-off. Searchers spotted the wreckage of the plane carrying 43 passengers and 3 crew members in the mountains of western Venezuela on Friday, 22 February. Fire-fighter Sgt. Jhonny Paz said officials believed there were no survivors and were sending a helicopter to the site of the accident after a refueling stop. "The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverized," he told the Venezuelan television station Globovisión
. At the national civil aeronautical institute, General Ramón Vinas confirmed that, "by the type of impact, we presume that there are no survivors".
ns and an American also died in the crash.
Among the passengers were an anti-Chávez
political analyst, Italo Luongo, and Alexander Quintero, the mayor of Mucuchíes
, a small town in the state of Mérida, Quintero's 11-year old son, and two relatives of federal under-minister for civic security Tarek El Alssami. Vivian Guarch, a 53-year-old United States citizen and executive for Stanford Financial Group Bank
, died in the crash.
Family members and friends of the victims created a website with information related to the crash and its victims.
(black box) was successfully recovered from the wreckage. Preliminary information released on 28 July 2008, indicates the crew departed Mérida with inoperative navigation equipment and subsequently became disoriented in the mountainous terrain surrounding the airport, crashing into the side of a mountain while trying to determine their location.
TWR: Tower / CAM 1: Captain / CAM 2: Copilot / ROI116: Avior 1116
GPWS: Ground Proximity Warning System
(GPWS sounds again)
(GPWS sounds again)
(GPWS sounds again)
(Stick Shaker Activates)
(Sound of Crash)
(End of the recording)
Santa Bárbara Airlines
SBA Airlines, formerly known as Santa Bárbara Airlines prior to 2008, is an airline based in Caracas, Venezuela. It operates scheduled domestic and international services...
Flight 518 was an ATR 42-300
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
twin-turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft, registration YV1449, operating as a scheduled domestic flight from Mérida
Mérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
to Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
that crashed into the side of a mountain on 21 February 2008, shortly after takeoff. There were 43 passengers on board, with a crew of two pilots and a flight attendant. The wreckage was discovered a day later with no survivors. It is the highest death toll of any aviation accident involving an ATR 42.
Flight history
Mérida, a university and tourist town located high in the AndesAndes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
mountains, is surrounded by higher terrain, with night flights prohibited at the nearby Alberto Carnevalli Airport
Alberto Carnevalli Airport
Alberto Carnevalli Airport is an airport located 3 km southwest of Mérida, Venezuela, at an elevation of 1,526 m MSL. Its longest runway is 1,630 m long. It is situated in a valley in the Andean mountains, surrounded by higher terrain in all quadrants...
. On 21 February 2008, Flight 518 was the last scheduled flight out of the airport, departing at about 17:00 local time.
Shortly after take-off, the ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop slammed into a sheer 13000 feet (3,962.4 m) rock wall called "Indian Face" (Spanish: La Cara del Indio). No distress calls were received from the aircraft prior to impact.
Crash site
Antonio Rivero, national director of civil defense, said rescuers had identified the site of the crash in the south-western state of MéridaMérida (state)
Mérida State is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. The state capital is Mérida.Mérida State covers a total surface area of 11,300 km² and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 843,800.- Climate and Vegetation :...
. Unión Radio cited civil defense regional chief, Gerardo Rojas, as saying that rescue crews were racing to the poorly-accessible crash site in the Andes Mountains. Mountain villagers reported hearing a huge noise they thought could be a crash soon after the disappearance and loss of contact with Flight 518. According to local police, the wreckage of the aircraft was located at Páramo de Mucuchíes, in the sector of Collao del Cóndor, Páramo Piedra Blanca, near the Laguna de la Perlada. The search operation was conducted from the regional hub city of Barinas in western Venezuela.
Air-rescue services said that the twin-turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
ATR 42
ATR 42
-Civil operators:The largest operators of the ATR-42 are FedEx Express, Airlinair, TRIP Linhas Aéreas,and Mexico City-based Aeromar respectively. Number of aircraft as of 2010:Some 70 other airlines operate smaller numbers of the type....
crashed 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the mountain city of Mérida
Mérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
after take-off. Searchers spotted the wreckage of the plane carrying 43 passengers and 3 crew members in the mountains of western Venezuela on Friday, 22 February. Fire-fighter Sgt. Jhonny Paz said officials believed there were no survivors and were sending a helicopter to the site of the accident after a refueling stop. "The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverized," he told the Venezuelan television station Globovisión
Globovisión
Globovisión is a 24-hour television news network in Venezuela. It broadcasts over-the-air in Caracas, Aragua, Carabobo and Zulia on UHF channel 33. Globovisión is seen in the rest of Venezuela on cable or satellite and worldwide from their website...
. At the national civil aeronautical institute, General Ramón Vinas confirmed that, "by the type of impact, we presume that there are no survivors".
Passengers
As search-and-rescue activities were underway, local media published the passenger list of Sánta Barbara Airlines Flight 518. Most of the victims were Venezuelan; three ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
ns and an American also died in the crash.
Among the passengers were an anti-Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
political analyst, Italo Luongo, and Alexander Quintero, the mayor of Mucuchíes
Mucuchíes
Mucuchíes is a town in the Rangel Municipality of Mérida state, Venezuela. It is at an altitude of 2,983 meters and has a cool climate, with an average temperature of 11° C. Patron saint festivities are held during the month of December, with their patron saints St. Lucia and St. Benedict the...
, a small town in the state of Mérida, Quintero's 11-year old son, and two relatives of federal under-minister for civic security Tarek El Alssami. Vivian Guarch, a 53-year-old United States citizen and executive for Stanford Financial Group Bank
Stanford Financial Group
The Stanford Financial Group was a privately held international group of financial services companies controlled by Allen Stanford, until it was seized by United States authorities in early 2009....
, died in the crash.
Family members and friends of the victims created a website with information related to the crash and its victims.
| Nationality | Passengers | Crew | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 3 | 40 | |
| 5 | 0 | 5 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 43 | 3 | 46 |
Investigation
The Cockpit Voice RecorderCockpit voice recorder
A cockpit voice recorder , often referred to as a "black box", is a flight recorder used to record the audio environment in the flight deck of an aircraft for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents...
(black box) was successfully recovered from the wreckage. Preliminary information released on 28 July 2008, indicates the crew departed Mérida with inoperative navigation equipment and subsequently became disoriented in the mountainous terrain surrounding the airport, crashing into the side of a mountain while trying to determine their location.
Cockpit voice recording
The following is an English translation of the CVR transcript (original in Spanish):TWR: Tower / CAM 1: Captain / CAM 2: Copilot / ROI116: Avior 1116
GPWS: Ground Proximity Warning System
Ground Proximity Warning System
A ground proximity warning system is a system designed to alert pilots if their aircraft is in immediate danger of flying into the ground or an obstacle. The United States Federal Aviation Administration defines GPWS as a type of terrain awareness warning system...
- CAM 2: Mérida Tower, good afternoon. Santa Barbara 518 is requesting startup and clearance for proposed flight to Maiquetia, tower 518.
- TWR: 518, once doors closed startup is approved, altimeter 1018. Be advised a B190 of Avior two minutes ago checked over Lagunillas.
- CAM 2: Roger with Avior via Lagunillas. QNH 1018, startup clearance received and doors closing, and expecting taxi clearance to runway 24. Santa Barbara 518.
- CAM 1: If possible, keep on the concrete ramp!
- CAM 2: Mérida, Barbara 518 requests 180 turn to stay on the concrete.
- CAM 1: If possible, keep on the concrete ramp.
- TWR: Standby for immediate taxi and Avior’s position…
- TWR: Avior 1116 Mérida, position?
- ROI1116: We are 8 miles out, confirming 8 miles outside Lagunillas, through 110 to 9 thousand feet. No problem, you can clear the Barbara and we’ll contact you inbound.
- TWR: So we’ll clear for takeoff (BBR 518) while you contact us when inbound.
- TWR: Barbara 518, expedite your taxi to (runway) 24 and contact when ready for takeoff.
- CAM 2: Expediting taxi to (runway) 24 and we’ll call when ready for takeoff. Santa Barbara 518.
- CAM 1: Look at this shit.
- CAM 2: Clearance for Santa Barbara 518.
- TWR: We are still waiting on the clearance.
- CAM 1: It’s going to be a hell this shit. We’ll have to reset it during flight, what a crap!
- CAM 2: We’ll go visual
- CAM 1: We’ll take off in the dark. Fuck! We didn’t see this shit! I won’t touch it; these gyros are fucked up again. The other day we also skipped this and we had to leave them like this.
- TWR: Barbara 518, Maiquetia cleared you to 190, direct airport, 1655.
- CAM 2: Maiquetia Center clears Barbara 518 to Maiquetia W8 1-9-0, transponder 1655, Barbara 518 180 ready for departure.
- TWR: Roger, winds 220 at 08, cleared for takeoff.
- CAM 2: Cleared for takeoff Runway 24, Santa Barbara 518.
- CAM 1: We can't see shit; if we can fix it we’ll go visual. We’ll fix it in flight.
- CAM 1: We’re ready to go; you have the controls if you want.
- CAM 1: Power set... positive
- CAM 2: Gear up. We’re up
- TWR: Avior 1116. Traffic airborne right now.
- ROI1116: Roger, 1116 is inbound over Lagunillas.
- CAM 1: Roger. And as complementary information from us we’ll be a bit closer to the northern mountains my friend, so you’ll have a chance.
- ROI1116: Roger my friend, so we’ll keep closer to the southern mountains.
- CAM 1: Go ahead.
- CAM 2: Let’s keep white bugs + 10
- CAM 1: The same shit of the other day.
- CAM 2: The units are fucked up.
- CAM 1: The last time was like this, we had to wait until…
- CAM 2: Level at 400 feet
- CAM 1: We’re visual
- CAM 1: Level
- CAM 1: If you want we can start to turn, Denis.
- CAM 1: This way… it’s better
- CAM 1: I passed by here…(Laughs)
- CAM 1: Let’s keep this heading… Ok? And let’s try to keep 141 Denis.
- CAM 2: Ok.
- CAM 2: And manual...
- CAM 1: turn a bit more to see if this compass works and keep it right there.
- CAM 1: Let it there.
- CAM 1: Denis, a bit more to the right.
- CAM 2: to the right?
- CAM 1: Yes, get to zero six seven (067)
- CAM 2: Zero seven three (073) (GPWS Sounds)
- CAM 1: Denis, Denis (The captain takes control of the airplane)
- CAM 2: We’re at 074, aren’t we?
- CAM 2: 360?
- TWR: 518 Airborne 2 9 contact (over) Observatory. Did I clear you? (GPWS sounds again)
- CAM 2: That’s correct sir (GPWS alarm sounds again)
(GPWS sounds again)
- CAM 2: Aldino, Aldino. Go that way, are we at?
- CAM 2: Aldino, Aldino, we’re at 318 not 17… Aldino? Aldino!
(GPWS sounds again)
- CAM 2: Aldino, shit we’re at 318.
- CAM 1: What the fuck do you want? Turn to the right?
(GPWS sounds again)
- CAM 2: Aldino take that way!
- CAM 1: Fuck, Denis… For Christ’s sake!
- CAM 2: Aldino let’s turn 360 backwards. We’re going down!
- CAM 2: Ok.
- CAM 1: Denis… For Christ’s sake!
(Stick Shaker Activates)
- CAM 2: Aldino!
- CAM 1: Hold on, hold on.
- CAM 1: Easy Denis, Easy
(Sound of Crash)
(End of the recording)