What happened
On the route from Quito to Macará, an airplane carrying several high-ranking Ecuadorian government officials, Army officers, and members of the press was performing a flight to the southern region of Ecuador. The passengers were traveling to attend an upcoming official visit by President Jaime Roldós Aguilera.
During the descent toward the destination, the crew encountered adverse meteorological conditions characterized by rain showers and low cloud cover. While navigating these difficult weather patterns, the Boeing 727 (registered as FAE457 and HC-BAX) collided with a mountainside located a short distance from Macará. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe.
There were no survivors of the accident, with a confirmed 18 fatalities among all occupants on board.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary factor leading to the accident was controlled flight into terrain while the aircraft was operating in poor visibility and low altitude conditions.