What happened
A special flight departed from Santiago de Chile-Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez (Pudahuel) Airport, bound for Robinson Crusoe Island. The mission was organized by various NGOs in partnership with Chilean National Television to document post-earthquake reconstruction efforts on the island. The aircraft, a twin engine plane, was carrying a total of 21 people, consisting of 17 passengers and 4 crew members.
After a flight duration of nearly three hours, the aircraft performed a low-altitude pass over runway 14. As the crew transitioned to the approach for runway 32 from the ocean, the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 650 feet. At this point, the plane entered an uncontrolled descent, rolling 90 degrees to the left before striking the water.
Search efforts located debris floating on the surface, and the primary wreckage was subsequently discovered roughly one kilometer southeast of the airport. There were 21 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
The aircraft's descent became unstable during the final approach phase, characterized by a sudden roll and loss of altitude control.