What happened
While operating a flight from San Andrés Island toward Medellín, the aircraft encountered significant mechanical difficulties involving the left engine. During the cruise phase, the pilot notified air traffic control of these technical complications and chose to divert the flight to Planeta Rica. The flight was navigating through severe weather conditions at the time of the incident.
As the aircraft was performing its approach to the diversion airfield, it collided with the slope of Mt Los Mellos, situated approximately 11 km from the airport. The impact resulted in 25 fatalities, including three crew members and 22 passengers. Additionally, 21 people sustained injuries during the accident.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the primary cause was a pilot error in judgment regarding the selection of the diversion airport. The pilot attempted to land at an airfield that was currently closed and lacked available radio assistance, despite being within visual range of other airports that offered better facilities and more favorable weather.
Several contributing factors were identified during the investigation:
- A malfunction within the left engine's carburetor caused intermittent overspeeding and engine coughing.
- The aircraft was operating in extremely poor meteorological conditions, characterized by heavy rain, hail, thick mist, and thunderstorms.
- A lack of functional communication equipment prevented the crew from receiving updates regarding the weather at Planeta Rica or learning that the airport's radio and tower services were unavailable due to the time of day.