What happened
A twin-engine airplane began its journey at Río Hato Airport, departing at 10:44 local time. The aircraft proceeded to land at Penonomé at 10:55 local time. After a ground stop lasting approximately 45 minutes, the flight departed again, heading north toward the destination of Coclecito.
During the cruise phase of the flight, while maintaining an altitude of 3,400 feet, the aircraft encountered adverse weather conditions. The plane subsequently collided with a mountain slope and crashed. There were seven fatalities in the accident, including the President of the Republic of Panama.
Findings
Investigations into the crash concluded that the accident was the result of controlled flight into terrain while the aircraft was operating within low cloud cover and heavy fog.