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2001 Peru shootdown
Shootdown
A Cessna A185F, similar to the aircraft shot down
Date	20 April 2001
Summary	Shot down by Cessna A-37 Dragonfly of the Peruvian Air Force
Site	Pebas District, near the Peru-Brazil border, Peru
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Cessna A185F
Operator	General aviation
Registration	OB-1408
Flight origin	Islandia, Peru
Destination	Iquitos, Peru
Occupants	5
Passengers	4
Crew	1
Fatalities	2
Injuries	1
Survivors	3

On 20 April 2001, the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) shot down a civilian floatplane, killing American Christian missionary Veronica "Roni" Bowers and her infant daughter Charity.

While flying into the Loreto Region of Peru, Bowers, her daughter Charity, husband Jim, and six-year-old son Cory were being followed by a United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) observation plane. The Peruvian Air Force was operating as part of the Air Bridge Denial Program. The CIA did not attempt to identify the tail number of the church-owned plane per procedure.

Events leading to death

In a video released by the CIA, the CIA observers were recorded discussing whether the Cessna A185E (with Peruvian registration OB-1408), which had departed the town of Islandia; near the Brazilian border, is a "bandido" (drug plane) or an "amigo" (friendly). A CIA officer told Peruvian Air Force official that it may have been possible to have the plane land in Iquitos for inspection. The FAP pilot warned the Cessna for not having an authorized flight plan, but the pilot did not hear it because he was on a different frequency. As the Dragonfly prepared to open fire, a CIA officer said that the plane "doesn't fit the profile", and another CIA official said, "Ok, I understand this is not our call, but this guy is at 4,500 feet and he is not taking any evasive action. I recommend we follow him. I do not recommend phase 3 at this time."

A Peruvian official asked if "phase 3" was authorized, and the CIA official replied asking if he was "sure it's a bandido". The Peruvian official replied in the affirmative, and the CIA officer responded, "If you're sure." The CIA pilot said, "This is bullshit" and "I think we're making a mistake." The second CIA officer said, "I agree with you." The Dragonfly approached, at which point the pilot of the Bowers's plane made contact with the Iquitos control tower, noting that the FAP has showed up, and that he was not sure what they wanted.

In the confusion, the CIA piloted noted that the pilot of the Bowers's plane was in contact with the tower, but at 15:55 the Dragonfly opened fire with a minigun. The pilot can be heard yelling, "They're killing me! They're killing us!" The CIA officer said, "Tell them to terminate!" and another officer was heard saying "No! Don't shoot! No más! " The plane is was on fire, and the CIA observed it crash into the Amazon River, in the Pebas District, and turn upside down.

A CIA officer remarked on the recording that if the FAP had a helicopter in the area, that they should get it there to rescue the passengers. The CIA pilot observed a boat in the river attempting to rescue the plane's occupants, and one officer said, "Get good video of this."

In the years since the shootdown, many have said that the CIA "ordered" the Peruvian Air Force to shoot down the plane, when this is not the case.

Bowers and her seven-month-old daughter were killed in the shooting. The pilot, Kevin Donaldson, was shot in the leg but managed to land the plane. Roni's husband and her son were not injured.

Aftermath

After the event, the US government temporarily suspended the practice of advising foreign governments on shooting down planes over Peru and Colombia. It also paid compensation of $8 million to the Bowers family and the pilot. The program was discontinued in 2001.

According to a statement released by the CIA, its personnel had no authority either to direct or prohibit actions by the Peruvian government, and CIA officers did not shoot down any airplane. In the Bowers case, CIA personnel protested the identification of the missionary plane as a suspect drug trafficker.

A report by the Central Intelligence Agency Office of Inspector General found that the agency had obstructed inquiries into its involvement in the shooting. Pete Hoekstra (the highest ranking Republican on the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence), who published these findings in November 2008, criticized the CIA for the "needless" deaths.

References

Ripley, Amanda (29 April 2001). "A Mission Interrupted". Time. Archived from the original on January 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
^ "02. Cessna A185E, OB-1408" (PDF). mtc.gob.pe (in Spanish). Peruvian Ministry of Transport and Communications. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-05-02.
^ "CIA Video of Missionary Plane Shootdown". ABC News. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-03.
"Roni and Charity Bowers". mpp.org. Marijuana Policy Project. Archived from the original on 2008-09-18. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
Robertson, Gary D. (6 July 2002). "Able to Forgive, Not Forget, Peru Air Attack". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
"Veronica "Roni" Bowers". infoplease.com. Archived from the original on 2001-06-10. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
Sugden, Joanna (4 February 2010). "Veronica Bowers: the long fight for justice". The Times. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
"Statement from the CIA on the 2001 Peru Shootdown". ABC News. 3 February 2010. Archived from the original on 2016-10-10.
^ Colvin, Ross (21 November 2008). "CIA faulted in shooting down of missionary plane". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-04-18.

External links

Final report (in Spanish)

Internal conflict in Peru (1980–present)

Participants			Timeline	Key aspects

			1968 Peruvian coup d'état Revolutionary Government Founding of the Shining Path Limazo Tacnazo Chuschi ballot burning incident Deng Xiaoping's dogs incident Assault of Ayacucho prison 1983 Lucanamarca massacre Putis massacre Accomarca massacre Peruvian prison massacres 1986 Soviet embassy attack in Lima Aucayacu massacre Assassination of Juan Carlos Vega Llona 1987 North Korean embassy attack in Lima 1989 Callao bombing Three Martyrs of Chimbote Barrios Altos massacre 1992 Peruvian self-coup 1992 Bolivian embassy attack in Lima 1992 Peruvian embassy attack in Stockholm Santa massacre Frecuencia Latina bombing Tarata bombing La Cantuta massacre Japanese embassy hostage crisis Operation Chavín de Huántar Locumba uprising 2001 Peru shootdown 2002 Lima bombing Andahuaylazo Hatun Asha ambush Llochegua Clashes Founding of the MPCP San Miguel del Ene attack Operation Patriot	Government policies and actions Peruvian Agrarian Reform Judiciary reform in Peru under Alberto Fujimori Economic policy of the Alberto Fujimori administration National Population Program Forced sterilization in Peru Truth and Reconciliation Commission Arrest and trial of Alberto Fujimori Illegal drug trade Illegal drug trade in Peru War on drugs Narcoterrorism Coca eradication Operation Snowcap Related Cold War Terruqueo San Cristóbal of Huamanga University VRAEM Huallaga River Women in the internal conflict in Peru
Shining Path and remnants	Government of Peru	MRTA
Communist Party of Peru – Shining Path Militarized Communist Party of Peru Huallaga Faction (until 2012) Red Mantaro Base Committee FARC-EP in Peru Linked to Libya (until 2011) Hezbollah MOVADEF FUDEPP International Communist League Ethnocacerist movement Plurinational Association of Tawantinsuyo Reservists Revolutionary Internationalist Movement (until 2012) FARC dissidents United Democratic Andean Revolutionary Front of Peru Peruvian drug traffickers	Peruvian Armed Forces: Army Air Force Navy Peruvian Marines National Police Sinchis National Intelligence Service Special Intelligence Group Other: Rondas campesinas Sole National Central of Peasant Rounds of Peru Grupo Colina Rodrigo Franco Command Linked to United States DEA China Colombia Cuba North Korea Russia Spain Soviet Union (until 1991)	Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (until 1997) Linked to Cuba Libya Nicaragua Sandinista National Liberation Front Soviet Union (until 1991) 19th of April Movement Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Peru
1960s	Varig Flight 810 (November 1962) LANSA Flight 501 (April 1966) Cordillera Carpish Faucett Perú Douglas C-54 crash (December 1967)
1970s	LANSA Flight 502 (August 1970) LANSA Flight 508 (December 1971)
1980s	Alianza Lima plane crash (December 1987)
1990s	Faucett Flight 251 (February 1996) Aeroperú Flight 603 (October 1996) Occidental Petroleum Boeing 737 crash (May 1998)
2000s	Peru shootdown (April 2001) TANS Perú Flight 222 (January 2003) TANS Perú Flight 204 (August 2005)
2010s	Amazon Sky An-26 crash (December 2012) Helicópteros del Pacífico Mil Mi-8 crash (April 2013)
2020s	LATAM Perú Flight 2213 (November 2022)

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 2001 (2001)
Jan 23 Yemenia Flight 448Jan 25 RUTACA Airlines Flight 225Jan 27 Omsk An-70 crashJan 27 Oklahoma State basketball team crashJan 31 Japan Airlines mid-air incidentFeb 7 Iberia Flight 1456Feb 27 Loganair Flight 670AMar 3 Thai Airways International Flight 114Mar 15 Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2806Mar 24 Air Caraïbes Flight 1501Mar 29 Avjet Gulfstream III crashApr 1 Hainan Island incidentApr 20 Peru shootdownMay 17 Faraz Qeshm Airlines Yak-40 crashJul 4 Vladivostok Air Flight 352Aug 24 Air Transat Flight 236Aug 25 Marsh Harbour Cessna 402 crashAug 29 Binter Mediterráneo Flight 8261Sep 11 American Airlines Flight 11Sep 11 United Airlines Flight 175Sep 11 American Airlines Flight 77Sep 11 United Airlines Flight 93Sep 11 Delta Air Lines Flight 1989Sep 11 Korean Air Flight 085Sep 15 TAM Airlines Flight 9755Sep 17 Grozny Mi-8 crashSep 21 Aeroflot Flight 521Oct 4 Siberia Airlines Flight 1812Oct 8 2001 Linate Airport runway collisionOct 10 Flightline Flight 101Nov 12 American Airlines Flight 587Nov 12 Fishtail Air Eurocopter AS350 crashNov 19 IRS Aero Flight 9601/02Nov 24 Crossair Flight 3597Dec 2 AFRF Flight 9064Dec 22 American Airlines Flight 63
2000 ◄ ► 2002

Aviation accidents and incidents in 2001 (2001)

Jan 23 Yemenia Flight 448Jan 25 RUTACA Airlines Flight 225Jan 27 Omsk An-70 crashJan 27 Oklahoma State basketball team crashJan 31 Japan Airlines mid-air incidentFeb 7 Iberia Flight 1456Feb 27 Loganair Flight 670AMar 3 Thai Airways International Flight 114Mar 15 Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2806Mar 24 Air Caraïbes Flight 1501Mar 29 Avjet Gulfstream III crashApr 1 Hainan Island incidentApr 20 Peru shootdownMay 17 Faraz Qeshm Airlines Yak-40 crashJul 4 Vladivostok Air Flight 352Aug 24 Air Transat Flight 236Aug 25 Marsh Harbour Cessna 402 crashAug 29 Binter Mediterráneo Flight 8261Sep 11 American Airlines Flight 11Sep 11 United Airlines Flight 175Sep 11 American Airlines Flight 77Sep 11 United Airlines Flight 93Sep 11 Delta Air Lines Flight 1989Sep 11 Korean Air Flight 085Sep 15 TAM Airlines Flight 9755Sep 17 Grozny Mi-8 crashSep 21 Aeroflot Flight 521Oct 4 Siberia Airlines Flight 1812Oct 8 2001 Linate Airport runway collisionOct 10 Flightline Flight 101Nov 12 American Airlines Flight 587Nov 12 Fishtail Air Eurocopter AS350 crashNov 19 IRS Aero Flight 9601/02Nov 24 Crossair Flight 3597Dec 2 AFRF Flight 9064Dec 22 American Airlines Flight 63

2000 ◄ ► 2002

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