What happened
A scheduled return flight departed from Buenaventura at 16:30 local time, destined for the el Guavito aerodrome in Cali. The flight was anticipated to arrive at approximately 17:00. The aircraft was carrying a total of 36 occupants, consisting of the pilot, a flight engineer serving as copilot, an unlicensed steward, and 33 passengers.
When the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination by the expected time, search operations were launched. During the evening of the same day, investigators located the wreckage on the slopes of El Rucio mountain. The impact was severe enough to cause the aircraft to disintegrate upon hitting the terrain. There were 36 fatalities and no survivors.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the accident occurred while the flight was operating under instrument conditions at an altitude that was far too low for the intended route. Additionally, a lack of operational discipline by the pilot was identified as a contributing factor to the crash.