What happened
A twin engine airplane departed from Punta Arenas on a chartered mission destined for Teniente Rodolfo Marsh Airport. The flight was transporting eight passengers from the United States along with two crew members.
During the approach phase, the flight encountered adverse weather conditions. In an attempt to avoid the weather, the crew opted to divert the flight to Marambio; however, visibility at that location was also found to be inadequate for a safe landing. Consequently, the captain elected to return to the original destination at Teniente Rodolfo Marsh.
While attempting a visual approach under Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), the aircraft struck a hill located a short distance from the airfield. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the twin engine airplane. There were no survivors among the 10 fatalities recorded in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the crew attempted to maintain a visual flight rules approach despite being operating within IMC conditions. This failure to adhere to appropriate flight rules led to the aircraft's altitude becoming insufficient, resulting in the collision with terrain.