Capitán Germán Quiroga Guardia Airport is an airport serving San Borja, a town in the
Beni Department
Beni (), sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern Departments of Bolivia, department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second-largest department in the country (after Santa Cruz), covering 213,564 square kilometers (82,458 ...
of
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
. The runway is in the eastern side of the town.
The San Borja VOR (Ident: BOR) and
non-directional beacon
A non-directional beacon (NDB) or non-directional radio beacon is a radio beacon which does not include directional information. Radio beacons are radio transmitters at a known location, used as an aviation or marine navigational aid. NDB are i ...
(Ident: SRJ) are located on the field.
Accidents and incidents
*On September 12, 1961, a Curtiss C-46A-20-CU (CP-687) of Comercializadora Aérea Mixta Boliviana crashed near the Maniqui River in the Cara Cara area, San Borja.
*On January 7, 1975, a fuel leak forced the crew of a
Convair 440
The Convair CV-240 is an American airliner that Convair manufactured from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series made some inroa ...
from Frigorífico Movima to return to San Borja. Due to a loss of altitude, the pilot performed an emergency landing 40 km northeast of San Borja.
*On June 6, 1975, a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando (CP-941) of Trans Aéreos Illimani crashed during takeoff after losing control, and the aircraft was destroyed.
*On January 18, 1976, a
Douglas C-47
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...
(CP-573) of Frigorífico Maniqui crashed near the airport following a right engine failure. The aircraft was on a domestic passenger flight. Seven of the ten people aboard died.
*On January 26, 1977, a Douglas C-54D-5-DC (CP-1208) of Frigorífico Reyes suffered an engine failure during the takeoff roll, causing the aircraft to veer off the runway and collide with a parked
DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
at the airport.
*On January 12, 1979, a Douglas C-54D-10-DC (CP-1352) operated by Transportes Aéreos Kantuta crashed 48 km northeast of San Borja, and the aircraft was destroyed.
*On March 13, 1980, a Douglas C-47B-28-DK (CP-1243) of Aerolíneas La Paz crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport, and the aircraft was destroyed.
*On March 29, 1984, a
Curtiss C-46 Commando
The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company p ...
(CP-987) of SABENI was forced to perform an emergency landing on a road. The stabilizer detached, causing the loss of control.
*On May 6, 1984, a Curtiss C-46R Commando (CP-974) of Transportes Aéreos San Martín suffered an uncontrollable engine fire on engine number one, forcing the pilots to return to San Borja. The aircraft made an emergency landing on runway 18.
*On May 22, 1995, a Convair CV-440 (CP-2142) of Servicios Aéreos Santa Ana experienced an engine overload during the initial climb. The captain decided to return to the airport. The landing gear deployed correctly, but the aircraft was unable to roll or level as it turned onto the final approach. The plane impacted nose down and with a low wing. One of the four people aboard died.
*On July 16, 2015, a Cessna 210M (CP-2966), with five people aboard, suffered a loss of engine power. The pilot immediately began the necessary procedures. There were minor material and personal damages. An emergency forced landing was requested as soon as possible.
*On August 13, 2016, a
Cessna 172
The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is an American four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company.Cessna 182P Skylane (CP-2520) with one pilot aboard disappeared between San Borja Airport and Trinidad Airport. The pilot survived the accident and was rescued. The plane crashed due to engine failure. Upon landing, the landing gear broke.
*On February 25, 2022, a
Cessna 206
The Cessna 205, 206 and 207, known primarily as the Stationair (and marketed variously as the Super Skywagon, Skywagon and Super Skylane), are a family of single-engined, general aviation aircraft with fixed landing gear, used in commercial air ...
(CP-3134) was found near San Borja with approximately 433 kilograms of
cocaine
Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
. When the Bolivian Rural Police Mobile Unit (UMOPAR) arrived, the pilot and copilot opened fire on the police, resulting in the deaths of both drug traffickers in the shootout.
See also
*
Transport in Bolivia
Transport in Bolivia is mostly by road. The railways were historically important in Bolivia, but now play a relatively small part in the country's transport system. Because of the country's geography, aviation is also important.
Railways
''Tota ...
*
List of airports in Bolivia
This is a list of airports in Bolivia, grouped by type and sorted by location.
Airports
Airport names shown in bold indicate the airport has scheduled service on commercial airlines.
See also
* Bolivian Air Force (''Fuerza Aérea Boliviana ...
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...