Venezuela Plane Horror: Cheyenne Jet Explodes in Fireball Seconds After Takeoff, Killing Two at Paramillo Airport
A shocking aviation disaster unfolded in western Venezuela when a Piper PA-31T1 Cheyenne I twin-engine turboprop aircraft erupted into a massive fireball just moments after takeoff from Paramillo Airport in Táchira state, claiming the lives of two passengers and injuring two others.
Harrowing video footage captured the Cheyenne (registration YV1443) struggling to gain altitude before tilting dramatically, tumbling onto one wing, and exploding in a plume of flames and smoke near the runway’s edge within San Cristóbal National Park.
The crash occurred around 9:52 a.m. local time on Wednesday, October 22, as the aircraft—linked to government logistics activities—attempted departure from the short, challenging runway amid the Andes Mountains’ rugged terrain.
Eyewitnesses heard screams as the plane veered off the runway, crashing and igniting fuel tanks in a blaze that firefighters, Táchira Civil Protection, and Bolivarian National Police (PNB) battled for over an hour.
Preliminary investigations by the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC) point to a possible tire or wheel failure during the high-speed ground roll, leading to loss of control and structural damage that severed fuel lines— a known hazard at Paramillo’s elevation-challenged airfield.
The 1970s-era Cheyenne, a reliable turboprop for regional ops, was en route to an undisclosed destination when it failed to climb, tumbling in a fiery heap. Rescue crews extracted survivors from the wreckage by noon, but the two deceased—whose identities remain undisclosed—could not be saved despite rapid response.
The incident, captured in viral clips showing the plane’s desperate lurch and explosion, has stunned Venezuela’s aviation community, with the Cheyenne’s strong safety record—few crashes in 50 years—making this a stark outlier.
Táchira Governor Freddy Espinoza called it a “heartbreaking tragedy,” pledging full support for the injured at San Cristóbal’s Central Hospital. As INAC probes mechanical failures and pilot decisions, experts warn of Paramillo’s risks—short runways and mountains demand precision, where even minor issues cascade catastrophically.
This marks Venezuela’s second aviation fatality in 2025, following a July cargo crash in Barinas, amid aging fleets strained by sanctions. Global condolences pour in, with the FAA offering technical aid.
The victims’ families await answers, but for now, the smoldering wreckage stands as a grim reminder of aviation’s unforgiving edge.
