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. At the time of the accident, it had accumulated over 25,000 flight hours and completed over 27,000 landings.

Passengers and crew

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

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, and went down on a wasteland where materials used in a steel mill were stored. The steel mill was evacuated following the accident. Dozens of workers from the steel mill and firefighters pulled the survivors from the burning wreckage.

While the death toll was initially reported as 14, later reports revised it upwards to 15 and later to 17 as survivors of the initial crash died of injuries sustained. A total of 34 people survived the crash. Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash.

Investigation

The Venezuelan transport minister Francisco Garces announced that representatives from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) planned to visit the crash site and assist the investigation. 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). The BEA provided two investigators, and ATR provided three technical advisers.

Aftermath

President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez declared three days of national mourning after the crash.

As a result of the crash, on 13 September 2010 Trinidad and Tobago's Civil Aviation Authority suspended Conviasa's services into that country. 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.

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