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|
 FAP-205, the aircraft involved in the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 31, 1981 |
| Summary | Crashed in adverse weather; cause disputed |
| Site | Marta Hill, Coclesito, near Coclé Province, Panama |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter |
| Operator |  Panama Air Force |
| Registration | FAP-205 |
| Flight origin | Rio Hato Airport |
| Stopover | Penonomé Airport |
| Destination | Coclesito Airport |
| Occupants | 7 |
| Passengers | 5 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On July 31, 1981, a de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter of the Panamanian Air Force crashed in Marta Hill, in the community of Coclesito, in adverse weather conditions while on its final approach to Coclesito airport. All seven people on board, including General Omar Torrijos Herrera, who led the country's military dictatorship between 1968 and 1981, were killed.
The investigation into the crash was surrounded by controversy and speculation about the circumstances of how the aircraft crashed. The crash occurred shortly after Ronald Reagan assumed office as President of the United States and three months after Ecuadorian president Jaime Roldós Aguilera died in similar circumstances.
The cause of the crash remains disputed.