LA PAZ, Bolivia – A military cargo plane crash in Bolivia that left 22 dead earlier in 2026 was caused by a thunderstorm and errors involving the crew and air traffic control, according to a Bolivian Air Force probe report on April 30.
The aircraft, a C-130 Hercules transport plane – manufactured by Lockheed Martin – crashed after veering off the runway at El Alto International Airport in February.
Part of the fuselage came off the aircraft and landed in a busy urban area outside the airport, which is located around 15km from La Paz, resulting in most of the fatalities.
The investigation by a Bolivian Air Force board found that the aircraft, with eight crew members on board, did not receive timely communication from air traffic control and attempted to change course due to bad weather.
The pilot of the plane landed on the nose gear, a manoeuvre that made it difficult to use the brakes.
The storm had left a portion of the runway wet, decreasing traction for landing.
“This accident could have been avoided,” Colonel Richard Alarcon, who heads the investigative board, said at a news conference.
“If maybe at the outset the crew had received the special meteorological report from the La Paz station, they would have been able to take another course.”
The report said the worker at air traffic control was a trainee under supervision who did not provide the plane with information “on the action conditions of the runway”.
The investigative board said that the report focused on determining the causes of the crash and did not assign any individual responsibility.
The aircraft had been carrying a shipment of banknotes from the Central Bank of Bolivia.
After the crash, passers-by rushed to the wreckage to gather the scattered cash, but the issuing authority annulled the bills. AFP