El Trompillo Airport Aeropuerto El Trompillo
IATA: SRZ ICAO: SLET
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Serves	Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Opened	1920 (1920)
Passenger services ceased	23 September 2019 (2019-09-23)
Elevation AMSL	1,371 ft / 418 m
Coordinates	17°48′41″S 063°10′17″W / 17.81139°S 63.17139°W / -17.81139; -63.17139
Map
SRZ Location of airport in Bolivia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 15/33 2,787 9,144 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF[1][2]

El Trompillo Airport (IATA: SRZ, ICAO: SLET) is located in the south part of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, about 2 km (1.25 miles) away from the central plaza.

History

El Trompillo Airport was created in 1920 with a runway that measured no more than 800 meters (2,624 feet). The airport was given the name of “Captain Horacio Vasquez”, honoring a pilot who died in an accident flying from Argentina to La Paz. Nevertheless, because of the location, the airport with time was known as “El Trompillo”. For the first 65 years, it was the only airport in the city until, in 1984, the international airport of Viru Viru was constructed. Since then it has only operated local flights and the landing and departure of students of the Bolivian Air Force.

The first airlines to use this airport were Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano, known as LAB, and Panagra. About 70 departures and arrivals of the Air Force, and small and large airlines are registered. For a while, from 1980 to 1985, the amount of airplanes registered increased due to a combat against drug traffic.

As of 2019, there are currently no commercial passenger flights since the national carrier Transporte Aéreo Militar ceased operations.^[3]

Facilities

Aerocon had its head office in Hangar 93.^[4]

Incidents

• On July 29, 1961, a Lockheed Constellation, registered N2520B to Lloyd Airlines from Miami, Florida (not to be confused with Lloyd Aereo Boliviano) was intercepted by the Bolivian Air Force after taking off from El Trompillo. The Lockheed Constellation tried to get away but was forced to return to El Trompillo after a chase, which resulted in the death of BAF pilot Alberto Peredo Cespedes, whose Mustang PF-51 plane crashed at Cicumvalacion avenue during the pursuit. The four people in the Constellation were arrested, accused of contraband and homicide, later released on bond and escaped. The Constellation remained in Bolivia, and was later used by Aerosur and Pepsi for advertising purposes. The incident became known as the "Pirate Airplane Incident".^[5] (in Spanish)
• On 13 October, 1976, A Boeing 707 cargo freighter of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano registered N730JP crashed shortly after takeoff from El Trompillo and hit a school, killing all three crew on board and 88 people on the ground. The cause of the accident is disputed, between pilot fatigue and improper flight preparation or an engine failure and subsequent fire.^[6]