What happened
A scheduled airline flight departed from Salta for Córdoba, carrying a total payload of 3,512 kg. After traveling from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Salta earlier in the day, the aircraft began its departure from Salta at approximately 16:45 local time. During the approach to Córdoba, the crew contacted the control tower at 18:56 and was granted clearance into the airport zone. Weather reports provided by the tower indicated visibility of 6 km, cloud bases at 250 meters, and southeasterly surface winds of 10 to 11 knots.
The flight proceeded under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). The descent began at an altitude of 5,100 feet, which was higher than the required 4,400 feet. Following a northward course for nearly two minutes with flaps set at 15 degrees, the aircraft executed a right turn to a 45-degree course. After maintaining this heading for one minute, the crew turned left to a 225-degree course. As the aircraft's instruments showed an altitude of approximately 2,980 feet, the engine power was reduced for landing. During a further descent to 2,200 feet, the aircraft struck the ground while aligned with runway 17. While all 41 occupants were evacuated without loss of life, both pilots sustained slight injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed.
Findings
The investigation identified that the aircraft had been unduly deflected toward the north during the instrument approach. Several contributing factors were analyzed:
- The approach maneuver commenced at an altitude exceeding the prescribed procedures, which likely resulted in a steeper descent rate. There was also a possibility that the airspeed exceeded 140 mph.
- Inaccurate timing may have occurred because the copilot used the small second hand of a malfunctioning wristwatch to track intervals while simultaneously attempting to tune the marker beacon.
- The presence of upper-level winds stronger than those recorded at the surface may have contributed to the deviation from the intended course.