What happened
During a flight originating from Miami International Airport, the crew initiated their descent toward Panama City-Tocumen Airport. At the time of the approach, the local weather was characterized by heavy rain, low cloud cover, and turbulence. While performing the final approach to runway 03R, the aircraft was not correctly aligned with the center of the runway; however, the approach was continued.
Due to an excessive glide path, the aircraft touched down approximately 750 meters beyond the runway threshold. As the plane traveled roughly 2,500 feet down the runway, it drifted toward the left side and exited the paved surface. While the aircraft was attempting to contact taxiway Hotel, the nose landing gear failed. The aircraft eventually came to a stop 450 meters after the gear collapse. There were no fatalities among the 92 occupants, all of whom evacuated the aircraft without injury. The aircraft was determined to be a total loss due to structural damage.
Findings
- The approach was conducted while the aircraft was misaligned with the runway centerline.
- Adverse weather conditions, including rain and turbulence, were present during the landing phase.