Accident Overview
On a morning flight from Managua's Augusto C. Sandino Airport to Bluefields, a single-engine aircraft carrying two pilots and 14 passengers struck the slope of Mount Silva in the Zelaya Central Mountain Range. The aircraft was located approximately 50 kilometers west of Bluefields after the accident. All 16 occupants, most of whom were members of a development aid organization, were killed. Among the victims was a Swiss citizen.
Sequence of Events
The flight departed Managua and proceeded toward Bluefields. While approaching the destination, the crew initiated a visual flight rules (VFR) descent. At the time, weather conditions in the area were described as marginal. The aircraft descended to an altitude of 2,000 feet, at which point it collided with the terrain of Mount Silva. The minimum safe altitude over the accident area was determined to be 2,700 feet.
Probable Cause
According to official findings, the probable cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain after the crew initiated a descent under VFR mode in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Contributing factors included poor weather conditions with low clouds and the crew's premature descent, which brought the aircraft to 2,000 feet while the minimum safe altitude was 2,700 feet.