1981-05-21: Convair CV-440 Metropolitan (XA-KEH) — Aero León — Mt Pinarete, Mexico

24 fatalitiesMt Pinarete, MexicoFlight

A flight traveling from Puerto Escondido crashed into the side of Mt Pinarete, resulting in no survivors among the 24 people on board.

What happened

During a transit from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca de Juárez, an aircraft was operating at a cruising altitude of approximately 8,867 feet. While maintaining this flight path, the plane collided with the slope of Mt Pinarete. The wreckage of the aircraft was located by search teams several hours after the impact occurred.

There were 24 fatalities recorded in the accident, as all occupants on board perished. At the time of the collision, meteorological reports indicated that the cloud base was situated at an altitude of 10,000 feet, which was higher than the altitude at which the impact took place.

Findings

Official investigations concluded that the accident was the result of controlled flight into terrain.

Probable cause

The aircraft flew into the side of a mountain while under controlled flight conditions.