Incident
The aircraft was operating a flight from Tocumen Airport in Panama to Central Airport in Mexico City, with a scheduled stop at La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City. The flight reported "all well" over Managua, Nicaragua, at 2053 hours GMT (1453 hours local time). Subsequently, between Managua and the eastern part of León Department, an unknown trouble originated. A fire developed in flight, and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 13 kilometers northwest of Puerto Somoza. All 25 persons aboard—20 passengers and 5 crew members, including one supernumerary pilot—were killed. The aircraft disintegrated on impact.
Investigation
The official investigation into the crash was conducted. The probable cause, as stated in the official findings, was that it was not possible to determine the origin of the fire in the main section of the hydraulic and fuel distribution systems. The determination was noted to depend upon the results of laboratory tests and maintenance reports; when these are in, a reasonable conclusion can be reached regarding the probable cause of the fire in flight. The findings indicated that the fire may have been occasioned by a number of causes, for example, breaking of a hydraulic pressure line, short circuits in the electrical wiring, or leakage of fuel lines or tanks.