Cessna 402B accident near Punto Fijo, Ve, March 13, 1996
On March 13, 1996 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 402B, registered P4AVB, was destroyed in an accident near Punto Fijo. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. commercial rules. 8 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 1996 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Punto Fijo, Venezuela
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 8 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402B · all 402Bs on the register
- Registration
- P4AVB · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. commercial rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: Avia Air
The flight
- Departed from: TNCA Oranjestad OF
- Destination: SVJC OF
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 030° at 29 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Observation at 8:00 am from SVJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.