Narrative:Four armed, masked hijackers seized control of an Aviones de Oriente plane during a domestic flight. The hijackers were among 22 people on board the Beechcraft 1900 aircraft, which was en route from Caracas to Barinas State. The hijackers forced the plane to divert to a remote airstrip at a cattle ranch. They released the passengers and crew and took the plane to Colombia, where it was recovered in early August. It is believed that drug traffickers were responsible for this hijacking as they have a history of stealing small and medium-sized aircraft for use in smuggling operations. Two people were arrested in Arauca Department, Colombia, in connection with this hijacking.
Classification:
Hijack
Sources:
» Criminal Acts Against Civil Aviation 1998 / FAA, Office of Civil Aviation Security
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Caracas-Simón Bolívar International Airport to Barinas Airport as the crow flies is 415 km (259 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.