Accident Overview
On a flight from San Antonio del Tachira Airport to Maiquetía-Simon Bolivar Airport, the aircraft departed at 1230 local time for a scheduled 2-hour 45-minute journey. While cruising in poor weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain near Páramo de Turmal. The wreckage was located a few hours later, and all 12 occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
According to the official investigation, at the time of the accident, the airplane was not following its assigned route due to a navigation error on the part of the crew. The flight had deviated from the intended path, contributing to the collision with terrain.
Probable Cause
The probable cause determined by investigators was a navigational error in the course of an instrument flight at insufficient altitude. Contributing factors included:
- Failure to follow the route San Antonio - Maiquetía as called for by the LAV Operations Manual
- The flight took place outside of the route established by the National Airways Division
- Overconfidence of the pilot in his knowledge of the route
- Instrument flight which prevented visual checking of the position of the aircraft