SAETA

For the Spanish jet trainer named 'Saeta' see: Hispano HA-200

SAETA (Sociedad Anónima Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aéreos) was a privately held airline of Ecuador, which began operations in the 1960s and during its heyday in the 1990s flew to numerous destinations in North and South America from its base in Guayaquil. The collapse of Ecuador's economy in the late 1990s forced this airline to cease operations in February 2000.

Accidents and incidents

• On 3 July 1969, a Douglas DC-3 was hijacked on a domestic flight from Tulcán Airport to Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito. The hijackers demanded to be taken to Cuba.
• On 20 October 1971, a Vickers Viscount was hijacked by six people. It landed at Cuenca Airport.
• On 15 August 1976, Vickers Viscount HC-ARS operating SAETA Flight 232 crashed into the Chimborazo volcano, killing all 59 people on board. The wreckage was not discovered until 17 October 2002.
• On 23 April 1979, Vickers Viscount HC-AVP crashed in the Pastaza Province on a flight between Mariscal Sucre International Airport and Cuenca Airport, killing all 57 people on board. The wreckage was discovered in 1984. The aircraft was 25 nautical miles (46 km) off track.

External links

• SAETA official website at the Wayback Machine