What happened
An international scheduled flight departed from Lima-Jorge Chávez Airport at 00:42 local time, destined for Santiago de Chile. The aircraft was operating with a total of 70 people on board, consisting of 61 passengers and a crew of nine. Shortly after takeoff, once the aircraft had reached a speed of V2 + 10, the crew identified an issue involving non-responsive altimeters and other irregular flight characteristics.
In response to these indications, the crew contacted the Lima control tower to declare an emergency. They requested radar assistance to verify their current altitude and asked for vectors to facilitate a return to the departure airport. During the subsequent attempt to return to Lima, the aircraft struck the ocean surface approximately 48 nautical miles from the airport. The accident resulted in 70 fatalities, including all passengers and crew members, and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
During the flight, the crew observed that the altimeters were not functioning correctly, which prompted the emergency declaration and the decision to return to the airport.