What happened
A non-scheduled international cargo operation was en route from Iquitos, Peru, to Miami, USA, via stops in Cali, Colombia, and Panama City, Panama. The flight was transporting live animals as part of its payload. After arriving in Cali, the crew performed maintenance tasks involving repairs to the number 2 and number 3 engines before continuing the journey.
Upon reaching Panama City, the aircraft underwent refueling before departing from runway 03 at approximately 23:33 local time. Within one minute of takeoff, air traffic controllers observed large flames trailing the aircraft at a heading of roughly 040°. While it was initially unclear if the plane had remained airborne or impacted the ground, radar contact was lost almost immediately. The aircraft eventually struck a mahogany tree approximately 70 feet above the terrain, followed by several other trees, before coming to a halt on uneven ground. The wreckage was located 2.5 miles northeast of the runway end at Tocumen Airport. The impact and subsequent fire destroyed the aircraft and caused seven fatalities.
Findings
An official inquiry determined that the accident was likely the result of faulty maintenance. Evidence suggests a malfunction in the number 2 engine occurred during the initial takeoff phase, triggering an intense in-flight fire. This fire destroyed critical control surfaces, leading to a total loss of control.