Conviasa Flight 2350

Conviasa Flight 2350

The crash site
Accident summary
Date	13 September 2010
Type	Under investigation
Site	Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela
Passengers	47
Crew	4
Injuries	23
Fatalities	17
Survivors	34
Aircraft type	ATR 42-320
Operator	Conviasa
Tail number	YV1010
Flight origin	Santiago Mariño International Airport, Porlamar, Isla Margarita
Destination	Manuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport, Ciudad Guayana

On September 13, 2010, Conviasa Flight 2350, operated by an ATR 42-320, registration YV1010,^[1] crashed shortly before landing in Manuel Carlos Piar Guayana Airport, Ciudad Guayana, on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Santiago Mariño International Airport, Porlamar, Isla Margarita, Venezuela^[2] killing 17 of the 51 people on board.^[3]

Aircraft

The accident aircraft was an ATR 42-320, registration YV1010, c/n 371. The aircraft made its first flight on 7 February 1994.^[4] It had originally served with Gill Airways before being sold to Air Wales. The aircraft was bought by Conviasa in September 2006.^[1] At the time of the accident, it had accumulated over 25,000 flight hours and completed over 27,000 landings.^[5]

Passengers and crew

47 passengers were on board the aircraft, including two French citizens. The aircraft had four crew members.^[6]

Crash

The pilots of the aircraft reported control problems shortly before landing. Witnesses said that the aircraft struck power lines at low altitude at 09:59 local time,^[7] and went down on a wasteland where materials used in a steel mill were stored. The steel mill was evacuated following the accident.^[8][9] Dozens of workers from the steel mill and firefighters pulled the survivors from the burning wreckage.^[10]

Casualties

While the death toll was initially reported as 14,^[8] later reports revised it upwards to 15^[11] and later to 17 as survivors of the initial crash died of injuries sustained.^[3] A total of 34 people survived the crash.^[3] The governor of Bolívar State where the crash occurred, Rangel Gomez, called the number of survivors a "miracle."^[11] Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash.^[5]

Investigation

Venezuelan transport minister Francisco Garces announced that representatives from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) planned to visit the crash site and assist the investigation.^[12] Assistance in the investigation is to be given by the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA).^[5] The BEA provided two investigators, and ATR provided three technical advisers.^[6]

Aftermath

President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez declared three days of national mourning after the crash.^[13][14]

As a result of the crash, on 13 September 2010 Trinidad and Tobago's Civil Aviation Authority suspended Conviasa's services into that country.^[15] After the suspension, there were concerns about Trinidadian residents being stranded on Margarita Island. Conviasa, as of 2010, was the only airline to offer direct flights from Trinidad to Margarita Island, offering two or three flights per week.^[16]

On September 17, 2010, the Government of Venezuela grounded all Conviasa flights so that it could perform a technical review of the airline's fleet.^[17] The airline said that the temporary suspension would remain in effect until October 1, 2010,^[18] and that during the shutdown, passengers would be carried on other airlines.^[19]

See also

	Venezuela portal
	Aviation portal
	Disasters portal

• Santa Bárbara Airlines Flight 518, the previous major aircraft accident in Venezuela.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sobie, Brendan (13 September 2010). "Crashed Conviasa ATR 42 identified". Flight International. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/13/347254/crashed-conviasa-atr-42-identified.html. Retrieved 14 September 2010. 
2. ^ "Fourteen dead after plane crashes in eastern Venezuela". BBC News Online. 14 September 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11289500. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Venezuelan plane crash death toll rise to 17". Xinhua. 15 September 2010. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-09/15/c_13495160.htm. Retrieved 15 September 2010. 
4. ^ "YV1010 Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20100913-0. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Both pilots among fatalities in Conviasa ATR crash". Flight International. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/14/347286/both-pilots-among-fatalities-in-conviasa-atr-crash.html. Retrieved 14 September 2010. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "Flight VO 2350 on 13 September 2010 ATR 42-320, registered YV-1010." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. September 13, 2010. Retrieved on September 17, 2010.
7. ^ "AERONAVE DE CONVIASA SE PRECIPITA A TIERRA EN EL ESTADO BOLÍVAR". Instituto Nacional de Aernáutica Civil. http://www.inac.gov.ve/template4.php?teno_id=139&subs_id=37&secc_id=4. Retrieved 14 September 2010. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Crash: Conviasa AT42 near Puerto Ordaz on Sep 13th 2010, loss of control". Avherald.com. 2001-07-06. http://avherald.com/h?article=430e1137&opt=0. Retrieved 2010-09-13. 
9. ^ "Plane Crash In Venezuela: 47 Passengers On Board Airline Conviasa's Domestic Flight | World News | Sky News". News.sky.com. http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Plane-Crash-In-Venezuela-47-Passengers-On-Board-Airline-Conviasas-Domestic-Flight/Article/201009215726628?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15726628_Plane_Crash_In_Venezuela:_47_Passengers_On_Board_Airline_Conviasas_Domestic_Flight. Retrieved 2010-09-13. 
10. ^ Sanchez, Fabiola (14 September 2010). "Plane carrying 51 crashes in Venezuela; 36 survive". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hGKkCIQA-Z15JOWnAfrK_cc5C2dwD9I7C6A01. Retrieved 14 September 2010. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Plane carrying 51 crashes in Venezuela; 36 survive, 8th Ld-Writethru, LT". London: The Guardian. 14 September 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9264043. Retrieved 14 September 2010. 
12. ^ "Venezuela Plane Crash Kills 15, Leaves 36 Injured". Bloomberg Businessweek. 13 September 2010. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-13/venezuela-plane-crash-kills-15-leaves-36-injured.html. Retrieved 14 September 2010. 
13. ^ "National Mourning in Venezuela for Plane Crash." Periodoco 26, Las Tunas, Cuba. Retrieved on September 16, 2010.
14. ^ "Miracle as 36 survive Venezuelan plane crash." Jakarta Globe. September 13, 2010. Retrieved on September 16, 2010.
15. ^ Rampersad, Curtis. "T&T suspends V'zuela airline." 'Trinidad Express Newspapers. September 13, 2010. Retrieved on September 14, 2010.
16. ^ Nationals may be stranded in Margarita." Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday. Wednesday September 15, 2010. Retrieved on September 16, 2010.
17. ^ CNN Wire Staff. "Venezuelan state-owned airline grounded after fatal crash." CNN. September 17, 2010. Retrieved on September 17, 2010.
18. ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David. "Conviasa suspends all flights for operational audit". Flight International. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/17/347497/conviasa-suspends-all-flights-for-operational-audit.html. Retrieved 17 September 2010. 
19. ^ "Venezuela's airline halts flights after plane crash". BBC News Online. 17 September 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11353762. Retrieved 18 September 2010. 

External links

• Conviasa (Spanish)
• "Conviasa flight accident in Venezuela." ATR. September 14, 2010.
• "Flight VO 2350 on 13 September 2010 ATR 42-320, registered YV-1010." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile