# Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Flight 301

On 1 February 2008, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Flight 301, a charter flight operated by a Boeing 727-259, ran out of fuel near Trinidad Airport while en route from El Alto to Cobija. The pilots made an emergency landing in a swampy area a few kilometres from the airport. All 156 on board survived, only two passengers suffered minor injuries.

## Background

The aircraft was a Boeing 727-259 Advanced manufactured in 1980, with serial number 22475 and had Pratt & Whitney JT8D-17R engines. It was operated by the former flag carrier of Bolivia, Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano (LAB).
After its manufacture, the aircraft was delivered to Avianca on 4 December 1980 (N204AV), then on 14 December 1993 it was delivered to Capitol Air Express with the same registration. On 1 October 1994 it was delivered to Sun Country Airlines (N289SC), until being delivered to LAB on 28 December 2002 with the registration CP-2429.
In 2006 the aircraft entered maintenance at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru. The maintenance lasted about a year, after maintenance, the reintegration process took about two months, and rejoined to LAB service on 4 June 2007.

## Accident

The flight had been chartered by Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM) to transport stranded passengers due to route closures as part of the solidarity flights enabled by that company. The plane took off from El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia, to Captain Aníbal Arab Airport in Cobija, Pando, however, the pilots attempted several landing attempts at Cobija Airport, without success. The pilots were advised that the airport was closed due to bad weather in Cobija, so they decided to divert to Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport in Trinidad, Beni.
En route to Trinidad, the pilots also faced adverse weather conditions. However, the plane ran out of fuel due to the delay caused by the closure of Cobija Airport and weather conditions, and the captain attempted an emergency landing near Trinidad Airport. At 10:35 a.m., the plane made a forced landing in a swampy area a few kilometers near the airport. There was no fire, and damage to the aircraft was minimal.Despite the impact, all 151 passengers and five crew members on board survived the crash; it was considered a miracle that there were no fatalities.
Soldiers from the Reynaldo Zeballos Sergeants School, who were conducting exercises in the area, witnessed the impact and immediately went to the aid of the passengers, evacuating them and rescuing their luggage. Emergency teams, firefighters, and ambulances were deployed to assist those affected. Only two passengers received minor bruises and were taken to the hospital.There were no serious injuries, or fatal outcomes. Despite the seriousness of the incident, the pilots' expertise prevented a greater tragedy. The aircraft was left with broken wings, shattered glass, and a damaged fuselage, but no human losses.
Currently, the aircraft is located in the same place since the accident, over the years, many people have removed the valuable parts of the plane, including the engines and the cockpit seats. Due to its difficult access, it is possible to reach the place where the aircraft is located depending on the time of year, and it is likely that now the Boeing 727 is home to many wild animals of the Bolivian Amazon rainforest.

## Investigation

The final report from the Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) stated that the causes and effects of the accident were due to the following factors:
* At Cobija Airport the weather conditions were not suitable, the pilots attempted to land three times, after those three landing attempts, they decided to divert to Trinidad Airport as the only alternative, the plane consumed all its fuel and made an emergency landing in the amazon rainforest 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the runway.
* Before the flight, an undisclosed technical problem prevented takeoff, delaying the flight and causing the loss of some fuel that would have been necessary for the plane to land at Trinidad Airport.
* The plane had fuel for 2 hours and 45 minutes of flight time, more than enough for a flight from La Paz to Cobija, however, it was discovered that the plane's pilots did not load enough fuel as required by law, as the plane would have to have fuel for a flight from origin to destination, plus 45 minutes of extra fuel.
* All factors imply that the delay in takeoff, the lack of fuel reserves, the failed landing attempts, and the diversion to Trinidad, consumed much of the aircraft's fuel time, causing it to run out a few kilometers from the airport and make an emergency landing in the amazon rainforest of Beni.
The final report stated that a combination of technical problems, weather conditions, and a lack of fuel were the causes of this accident, yet all people on board survived, with only two people injured, demonstrating the skill and heroism of the pilots in command of the plane, for achieving a "miraculous landing" in the amazon rainforest of Beni, without any fatalities.