What happened
During an active flight, the crew encountered increasingly severe weather conditions that led to a loss of spatial orientation. Because the meteorological situation prevented the flight from reaching its intended destination of Asunción, the captain requested and received authorization to divert to Guaíra for an emergency landing.
While attempting the approach under poor visibility and adverse weather, the aircraft struck a field and overturned. Although the impact resulted in the aircraft being written off, there were no fatalities or injuries reported among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing elements to the crash. The primary cause was attributed to the pilot's loss of orientation while operating in marginal weather, which led to a rushed landing attempt. Additional factors included:
- Severe weather conditions and a lack of available radio navigation aids in the vicinity
- Inadequate flight preparation by the aircraft operator
- An error by the Area Control Center (ACC) regarding the validation of an incorrect flight plan