Accident Description
A twin-engine airplane departed Laguna del Sauce Airport on a charter flight to San Fernando Airport near Buenos Aires, carrying eight passengers and two pilots. Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 01, the aircraft entered a controlled descent and crashed in shallow water approximately 2 km northwest of the airport. The aircraft burst into flames upon impact and was destroyed by a post-crash fire. All 10 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed no mechanical anomalies in the engines or their components. Both engines' compressors were running at low speed on impact, and both propellers were turning at a speed close to low pitch. The aircraft's climb profile did not meet the manufacturer's recommendations for speed and rate of climb. The center of gravity was outside the flight envelope, and the total weight at the time of the accident was 124 kg above the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW).
Both pilots were tired due to a lack of rest time and a shift of more than 18 hours. The captain had not flown this type of aircraft since 1997 and was accustomed to flying jets. The copilot had no experience on this type of aircraft, despite holding a valid license. The pilots' knowledge and understanding of the aircraft's systems and operation was inadequate. The operational checklists found on board were not up to date. The pilots flew together for the first time at night on this aircraft and for the second time overall.
The aircraft was operated under commercial rules on behalf of a travel agency, though it was only authorized for private flights. The instructor responsible for training both pilots and the person in charge of scheduling the flight refused to be questioned by the board of inquiry. An excessive workload for the crew and lack of rest contributed to the pilots' loss of situational awareness. Pressure from the aircraft's owner to complete the flight and crew fatigue and stress were also noted, as was inadequate maintenance of the aircraft.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause, as stated by the investigation, is: The accident resulted from impact with the ground without loss of control due to the combination of the following factors: insufficient qualifications of the crew to fly this type of aircraft; the aircraft's climb profile did not meet manufacturer recommendations; center of gravity outside the flight envelope; aircraft weight 124 kg above MTOW; pilot fatigue from lack of rest and a shift over 18 hours; captain's lack of recent experience on type; copilot's lack of experience on type; inadequate pilot knowledge of systems; outdated checklists; first night flight on type for both; unauthorized commercial operation; instructor and scheduler refusing to cooperate; excessive workload and lack of rest leading to loss of situational awareness; pressure from owner; crew fatigue and stress; inadequate maintenance; engines at low compressor speed and propellers near low pitch on impact.