West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 [SEP] point in time
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708
West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 was a West Caribbean Airways charter flight which crashed in a mountainous region in northwest Venezuela in the early hours of Tuesday, 16 August 2005, killing all 160 passengers and crew on board. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration HK-4374X, was en route from Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City, Panama to Martinique Aimé Césaire International Airport (FDF) in Fort-de-France, Martinique, France. While flying at 33,000 ft,
to its 2004 losses, the civil aviation authority began close monitoring of West Caribbean Airways's finances in May, though it was stated that the airline was fulfilling its commitments.
On August 16, 2005, West Caribbean Airways Flight 708 crashed in Venezuela. By the time of this accident, WCA had only four aircraft left in its fleet: an Let L-410 Turbolet, two undergoing maintenance, and the aircraft destroyed in flight 708. West Caribbean Airways was grounded by UAEAC late in the day on August 17. The airline