Date:	Friday 22 May 1981
Time:
Type:	de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Owner/operator:	TAME Ecuador
Registration:	HC-BAX
MSN:	457
Year of manufacture:	1975
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Zumba -   Ecuador
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO/SEQU)
Destination airport:	Macara Airport (MRR/SEMA)

Narrative:
A DHC-6 Twin Otter plane, operated by TAME Ecuador and registered HC-BAX/FAE-457, was destroyed when it crashed into the side of a mountain. All 18 on board were killed.
Several reports indicate the plane crashed on May 21 or May 22 near Zumba, Ecuador.
Other reports suggest that the Twin Otter crashed while flying in formation with the Presidential Beechcraft 200 on May 24, 1981. This accident happened near Macará, Ecuador, killing Ecuadorian President Jaime Roldós Aguilera aboard the Beech 200. Newspaper reported at the time do however not report the simultaneous accident of the Twin Otter. It is thus considered probable that the Twin Otter crashed in a separate accident a few days earlier.

Military aviation disasters : significant losses since 1908 / D. Gero, 1999
Turbo Prop Airliner Production List / J. Roach, A.B. Eastwood (2007)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates