Cessna 402A accident near Caracas, Ve, March 3, 1997
On March 3, 1997 at about 2:14 am local time, a Cessna 402A, registered YV784, was destroyed in an accident near Caracas. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. commercial rules. 6 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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 3, 1997 · about 2:14 am local time
- Place
- Caracas, Venezuela
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402A · all 402As on the register
- Registration
- YV784 · 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: Chapi Air Travel
The flight
- Destination: Gran Roques OF
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.