Mount Illimani

Giant Mt. Illimani (Aymara) is the largest in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia. The four main peaks of the mountain are visible from far off distance. It is even visible from the nearby cities of El Alto and La Paz where it is used as a landmark. With several local songs written on Illimani, it seems to be closely related to the locals’ hearts. However, the mountain was soon to be the only one to see the mishappening of flight 980.On January 1, 1985, Eastern Air Lines Flight 980 took off from Asunción, Paraguay to Miami, Florida, United States. The Boeing 727 jetliner operating the flight was scheduled to stop at the El Alto Airport near La Paz, Bolivia on their way.