1981 Panamanian Air Force Twin Otter crash
1981 aviation accident
 FAP-205, the aircraft involved in the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 31, 1981 (1981-07-31) |
| Summary | Crashed in adverse weather; Cause disputed |
| Site | Marta Hill, Coclesito, near Coclé Province, Panama |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter |
| Operator |  Panama Air Force |
| Registration | FAP-205 |
| Flight origin | Rio Hato Airport |
| Stopover | Penonomé Airport |
| Destination | Coclesito Airport |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On July 31, 1981, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter of the Panamanian Air Force crashed in Marta Hill, in the community of Coclesito, in adverse weather conditions while on its final approach to Coclesito airport. All seven people on board, including General Omar Torrijos Herrera, who led the country's military dictatorship between 1968 and 1981, were killed.
The investigation into the crash was surrounded by controversy and speculation about the circumstances of how the aircraft crashed. The crash occurred shortly after Ronald Reagan assumed office as President of the United States and three months after Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós Aguilera died in similar circumstances.
The cause of the crash remains disputed.
Details of crash
At 10:44 a.m. on July 31, 1981, FAP-205 took off from the Rio Hato air base, headed for Coclesito airport, to visit local residents. At the controls were captain Azael Adames and sub-lieutenant Victor Rangel as co-pilot. The passengers on the flight were General Omar Torrijos Herrera, mechanic Carlos E. Rivera, Sergeant Ricardo Machazek, bodyguard assistant Jaime Correa, and dentist Teresa Ferreiro. The plane landed at Penonomé Airport at 10:55 a.m. for a stopover, which ended at 11:40 a.m. At that time, the flight was only 15 minutes from its final destination.
There is much controversy about how the plane crashed. It is known that the plane intended to land at Coclesito in very bad weather. It disappeared from radar between 11:55 a.m. and 12:05 p.m., but ATC did not declare an emergency for nearly a day, because of the limited nature of Panama's radar coverage at the time. The government knew about the plane's disappearance, but did not comment until the rescue mission was organized.
On August 1, the media reported the disappearance of the plane and the government declared the disappearance of Torrijos. At 11:30 p.m. of the same day, Panamanian authorities, with the support of the US military, found the first remains of the aircraft on Marta Hill, 3,100 feet above sea level. All seven people on board, including Torrijos, were killed. The plane, except for the tail section, was destroyed by the impact against the mountain.
The news about Torrijos' death caused a crisis in the military dictatorship and nationwide mourning in Panama, especially by the impoverished, because Torrijos' actions and popular reforms gave relatively more opportunities and advantages to them. On August 4, a state funeral was held for him in the Casco Viejo Metropolitan Cathedral. He was buried in Casco Viejo for a brief time, but later transferred to a mausoleum in the Canal Zone at Fort Amador, near Panama City.
