What happened
During the final approach to Cuenca-Mariscal La Mar Airport, the flight crew encountered weather conditions that significantly restricted visibility. While attempting to land, the aircraft descended below a safe altitude without the crew maintaining adequate visual contact with the terrain. The aircraft type struck trees approximately 2 km before reaching the threshold of runway 05, near the Gaullum district. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire that completely destroyed the plane. There were 119 fatalities among the occupants, with no survivors reported.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the crew continued their descent below the established glide path despite the lack of visibility. A primary contributing factor was the crew's insufficient experience in managing the approach under such challenging meteorological conditions.