WEST CARIBBEAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT 708

The Airline:
West Caribbean Airways was founded in 1998 by Colombian entrepreneur Hassan Tannir and started operations in 2000 based in San Andrés Island. A group of Medellín-based investors acquired the airline in 2001 and moved the headquarters to Medellin. The airline operates two McDonnell Douglas MD-81s, and MD-82 two Airbus ATR42s and several smaller aircraft.

 The Aircraft:
The airplane was a model DC-9-82, commonly known as the MD-82 having serial number 49484. The order for the aircraft came from Continental Airlines, and it was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Model JT8D-217A engines.

Background and History of the Flight:
Flight 708 departed Tocumen International Airport in Panama City at approximately 1:00 a.m. with 152 passengers, 8 crew members, for a total of 160 people on board. Once the crew reported engine trouble, they intended to divert to Caracas. Later, the remaining engine also failed and the aircraft descended at 7,000 ft/min before crashing into the mountainous terrain of the Sierra de Perija.

Service and Maintenance History of the Aircraft:
The aircraft was manufactured by McDonnell Douglas Corporation at its Long Beach, California facility in 1986. Continental Airlines operated the aircraft continually from 1986 until the attacks of September 11, 2001. After that, the airplane was one of many sent to a desert storage facility. It was fitted with hushkits on both engines approximately a week before the crash. Improper installation of hushkits could have contributed the the aircraft’s performance and controllability.

The Flight Crew:
No information about the identity of the flight crew has been released.

The Passengers and Crew:
Most of the passengers were local government officials in Martinique who had been on holiday with their families. There was one infant and four children among the 152

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