What happened
During a flight traveling from Colombia toward Mexico, a twin-engine aircraft encountered difficulties while traversing the airspace over the El Petén region in Guatemala. The pilot contacted air traffic control to report a technical malfunction and received authorization to divert to the Santa Elena-Munda Maya Airport.
As the aircraft was performing its approach to the runway, it went down in an open field situated approximately 30 km from the airport. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were two fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Following the accident, Guatemaltecan authorities investigated the vessel's documentation. While the aircraft was operating under the registration YV-1568, investigators determined this was a fraudulent identity and that the actual registration for the plane was XB-JVV.
Findings
Investigations into the flight revealed that the crew was engaged in an unauthorized mission involving the transport of narcotics. The crash occurred during the approach phase of flight following a reported mechanical issue.