What happened
A cargo flight operating from Basel via São Paolo was conducting its arrival procedures at Buenos Aires. During the descent, the crew initiated an approach into the airport under marginal weather conditions.
As the aircraft transitioned to the final approach phase, it failed to maintain the required glide path, resulting in the plane being positioned too high above the runway. This altitude error led to a touchdown point significantly further down the runway than intended. Due to the excessive distance from the threshold and the lack of remaining runway length, the aircraft was unable to decelerate sufficiently. The aircraft subsequently overran the paved surface, struck an embankment, and came to a halt 120 meters beyond its original path.
Findings
The investigation into the incident identified several contributing factors:
- The crew maintained the approach despite being above the glide slope.
- An inaccurate assessment of the aircraft's position relative to the glide path occurred during the final stages of flight.
- Environmental conditions, including a wet runway surface and gusting winds from 240° at 30 knots, reduced braking effectiveness.
Despite the aircraft being declared a total loss, all five occupants successfully evacuated the wreckage without injury.