VENEZUELA suffered a major air disaster last week when an MD 82 of Colombia based West Caribbean Airways MD 82 flying from Panama to Martinique crashed inland killing all 160 souls on board. The pilot had previously reported engine trouble. Operational since 2000 the airline has had a somewhat chequered history ownership changing hands in 2001 the headquarters now in the provincial city of Medellin. The airline lost one of its four Czech built LET 410 in a fatal crash in March and according to reports had been under scrutiny for operational failures. The majority of the passengers on the flight were French tourists returning home after a holiday in Mexico.
http://www.wca.com.co/compania.php