What happened
During a humanitarian mission intended to deliver medical supplies and first aid kits to victims of Hurricane Mitch, an aircraft crashed while approaching Quetzaltenango. The flight originated from Playa Grande, operating on behalf of the Living Water Teaching Ministries. The aircraft was carrying a total of 18 people, consisting of two pilots and 16 passengers, which included medical professionals.
As the flight was performing its approach, the area was experiencing severe weather, characterized by heavy rainfall and dense fog. During this descent, the aircraft struck the ground a few kilometers from the destination airport. The impact resulted in a total of 11 fatalities and 7 survivors.
Findings
Investigations into the accident indicate that the crash occurred while the aircraft was in the approach phase of flight. The primary contributing factor was the extremely poor visibility and adverse weather conditions present at the time of the impact.