The pilot and co-pilot of a private aircraft were found dead Monday after the plane crashed in the Cochabamba region of central Bolivia, according to the Minister of Public Works, Services and Housing, Mauricio Zamora.
The victims, identified as pilot Carlos Moyano and co-pilot Julio Sardán, died in the crash of a Cessna Citation, registration CP-3243, Zamora stated in a press release from his office.
The aircraft went down in a forested area located between the city of Cochabamba and the town of Chimoré, within the Cochabamba Tropics.
Search and recovery operations were carried out by the Bolivian Air Force (FAB) using both an airplane and a helicopter. The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) activated all necessary emergency protocols as soon as the accident was brought to their attention, according to the ministry.
Flight timeline and investigation
The flight departed from El Alto airport, near La Paz, at 08:30 local time with a planned destination of the eastern city of Santa Cruz.
The flight path was interrupted approximately 30 minutes after takeoff when communication with the crew was lost. Following the loss of contact, the aircraft began flying in an unusual pattern, moving in circles over the region.
The plane eventually disappeared from radar at 11:00 local time, according to the initial report provided by Minister Zamora.
The minister also disclosed that Moyano and Sardán had completed a previous flight hours before the accident. On that occasion, they transported the Minister of Environment, Oscar Mario Justiniano, from Santa Cruz to La Paz.
Authorities are currently investigating the specific cause of the crash. One primary theory being examined by officials is that the aircraft suffered a sudden cabin depressurization.
Investigators suggest that this depressurization may have caused the pilots to lose consciousness. This theory would account for the loss of communication and the erratic, circular flight pattern observed by controllers before the aircraft went down, according to the official statement.
