What happened
A scheduled service departing from Ezeiza Airport at 15:54 local time was bound for San Carlos de Bariloche, with Comodoro Rivadavia designated as an alternate destination. The flight was carrying 55 passengers and 6 crew members. Under an IFR flight plan outside of established airways, the aircraft was cleared to maintain a safety altitude of 1,200 meters until reaching Neuquén, increasing to 2,400 meters toward its final destination.
Following departure, the aircraft maintained standard communications with both the airport tower and approach control. After passing Lobos, where the crew transitioned to using telegraphy, all contact with the flight was lost. Investigations later determined that at 16:45, the aircraft type crashed approximately 25 km southeast of Bolivar. The impact and a subsequent fire resulted in 61 fatalities, destroying the aircraft.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the aircraft suffered in-flight disintegration after components of the left wing broke away, followed by the loss of the tail section. This structural failure occurred because the airframe was subjected to aerodynamic stresses exceeding the manufacturer's design limits. The primary driver for this failure was the pilot's decision to fly through a severe cold surface front characterized by extreme turbulence.
Additional contributing factors included:
- The pilot operated at an altitude significantly lower than the minimum safety height required for such operations.
- The flight plan failed to include forecasts regarding the intensity of the encountered weather.
- There were deficiencies in the operational dispatch process for the flight.