1960 Cochabamba Douglas DC-4 crash

On 5 February 1960, a Douglas DC-4 passenger aircraft of Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano on a domestic flight from Cochabamba to La Paz, Bolivia, crashed shortly after take-off. All 59 people on board were killed.^[1][2]

1960 Cochabamba Douglas DC-4 crash

A Douglas DC-4, similar to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date	5 February 1960 (1960-02-05)
Summary	Crashed shortly after take-off
Site	Near Cochabamba, Bolivia
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Douglas DC-4
Operator	Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano
Registration	CP-609
Flight origin	Jorge Wilstermann International Airport, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Destination	El Alto Airport, La Paz, Bolivia
Occupants	59
Passengers	55
Crew	4
Fatalities	59
Survivors	0

Incident

Five minutes after taking off from Cochabamba's Jorge Wilstermann Airport, one of the plane's four engines reportedly caught fire.^[3][4] The aircraft subsequently crashed into a lagoon in the Andes, some 20 miles from the city of Cochabamba.^[5][6][7] It was the worst aviation accident in Bolivia's history at the time.^[8] The pilot was one of the airline's most experienced aviators, especially over the mountains of Bolivia.^[9][10]

Passengers

Out of the 59 onboard, one child survived the initial crash, but died due to their injuries while being taken to a hospital by rescuers.^[5] Among the passengers were four families.^[11]

Aftermath

The airline canceled all flights the day of the crash for mourning.^[11] The accident was blamed on a technical defect.^[12]